Good Dog
by Mercy Vale
Summary: Who doesn't love dogs? They're loyal, faithful companions who will love you until the end of times and do anything for you. Sometimes, they'll even change your whole life in the blink of an eye.
1. A Blossoming Friendship

Hey guys, just wanted to leave a little note here. I was so anxious to finally upload the first chapter that I completely overlooked this part. I just wanted to say, thank you to taking the time to read this. I know there are so many stories uploaded everyday so if you are reading this, I'm honored. Also, just a quick shout out to one of my absolute favorite writers, Invader Johnny. I read your review and it made me so happy! It is an honor to be acknowledged by one of the great! (Okay, sorry for fangirling.) I will Not go on the whole "Fav and review" spiel. I just appreciate people enjoying what I have deliver! Now, please enjoy the first chapter of Good Dog. There will be more to come soon and much shorter author's notes!

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Chapter One

A Blossoming Friendship

"I'll be home in a few hours Mom. I'm just hanging out at the park…. Yea, I took it." I roll my eyes and dig through my bag, searching for my good gloves. "I know I forgot yesterday, but I did take it, I promise… Yea, yea, I know. Don't worry, it's been a while since the last time, and it's gotten better…" I sigh and shake my head. "Okay. _Okay Mom_. I'm going to hang up… I'm hanging up… See you later. Bye." I end the call and huff, tossing my phone in my bad. I know she means well, but geez… She acts a little too _Mommyish_ sometimes. I just want some me time today and there's only one foolproof way to get it.

I pull on my gloves and make sure my bag is secure before grabbing the first thick branch of the tree in front of me. Climbing is second nature to me now. I did it all the time as a kid, even convincing my dad to take me to this badass indoor rock wall in Bakersfield. Knowing this tree perfectly also helps and I get to my usual spot in no time. I can see just about everything in the park from here and since no one comes to this little wooded area, I'm never bothered. Occasionally, a squirrel will show up, but they seem friendly enough and don't bother me, anymore at least. I had to stop bringing my favorite granola bars, which was unfortunate, but it was either that or get chased by a horde of squirrels, _every time_.

After hooking my bag on to a nearby branch, I finally get settled and start sketching. There's always something to draw here. Birds, people, plants, dogs... especially dogs. There's really nothing better than some alone time at the park. I have a space all to myself, and no one to bother me. Though, I _am_ about 6 feet up and difficult to spot. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like fresh air and nature, which I'd why I prefer this little secluded spot. The fact that it's close to the dog park is just a bonus. _I love dogs_. They're my favorite animal ever. They're smart, loyal, and always full of energy. They're just the best. I spend a lot of my free time here in my tree, watching dogs run and play and enjoy life. Sketching them is more of a recent hobby now. My friends think I'm obsessed with dogs and honestly, they might be right, but it doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes, I think dogs are better than people. They don't judge you for anything, they just want to love and be loved.

It's not like I only talk about dogs though. I love so many other things. Games, movies, reading...and music. I absolutely love music, whether it's singing along with it or dancing to it. There's something just so freeing about turning up your favorite song and really jamming to it. It's half the reason why I go to Hollywood Art High School, which is the coolest school _ever_! Talents of all kinds are accepted and while you might get lightly teased, no one will outright discourage you for liking or doing something. Well, not everyone at least, but a few grunchy apples do not spoil the bunch.

I take a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, cool air. The weather is beautiful today and it's the perfect day to just relax and draw whatever comes to minds. I could be doing my homework, but I can just take care of the before bed. I'll spend all day here if I have no other plans, which is rare usually. Most days, I like to stay until the last dog has left with its owner, then I'll usually head home or stop somewhere and grab a bite to eat. Today however, it seems both plans have gone out the window.

"Stupid mutt!" I look over to the entrance of the dog park and see a man dragging, or attempting to drag, a dog out of the park on a rope leash. "Let's go!" He hits the dog on the nose with something and it yelps, moving faster now to keep up with him. I frown and pack up my things before I start to climb down.

"Hey!" I drop down the last few feet as the guy turns in my direction.

"What do you want kid?" He scowls, yanking the rope and pulling the dog closer.

"What do you think you're doing to that dog? You can't hit a dog like that."

"What do you care? It's not your dog and it's none of your business." He takes a step forward, trying to intimidate me. It doesn't work and I stand my ground.

"It'll be my business when I call the police and report you." He glares and glances down at the dog before looking back up at me. He's nervous, and a little bit suspicious.

"You think you're tough shit, huh? What if I just set him loose and he attacks you. I could just say you were threatening me. I'd get away scot-free, and you'd learn a valuable lesson: Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong." My stony glare falters a bit and I lean back. He wouldn't. The dog doesn't even look like an attack dog. It looks scared and hurt. Even if it wanted to hurt me, it wouldn't. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, dialing the right number. The guy takes a step back and let's go of the rope, shoving the dog towards me.

"Bruno! Attack!" I look up the second I hear that and flinch back when I see the dog running towards me. I tense up and prepare to run, but the dog is faster. He tackles me and knocks me to the ground with a hard thud. I cover my face, ready for whatever biting will happen, but I'm caught off guard by a long, wet tongue being dragged across my cheek. My eyes fly open and I look right at the dog. He...he wants to play! I laugh and try to escape all the wet kisses. He's just a big softie…

This isn't what the guy expects, and it has fully pissed him off. I'm sitting up now, petting the dog and scratching him all over. He loves it and he keeps trying to lick my face in appreciation. I'm so engrossed in playing with the dog that I don't realize that his owner is approaching us, not until something long, thick, and heavy strikes him on the head. A big stick… The dog jumps and tries to back away but the man grabs the rope.

"Stupid dog! I said attack, not play! Can't you do anything right?!" He brings his arm up to hit him again, but I push the dog back, shielding him.

"No! You-" I don't get to finish my sentence. I'm cut off by the guy swinging the stick down on me. I cry out and fall, clutching my cheek. I look over at the man and he's smirking.

"That's what you get for getting in the way, stupid bitch." I take my hand from my face and see that it's covered in blood. I push myself to my feet and start to back away, but the guy grabs my arm, pulling me to him. I instantly tense up and try to pull away, but he has a strong grip.

"Let go! My father's a cop! He'll arrest you for this!" The guy just smiles and keeps pulling me with him. He shoves me against a tree and puts a hand around my neck, squeezing tight. I struggle against his hold, fighting for air, and look up at him just as he's moving to hit me again. I flinch, shutting my eyes, and wait for the blow that's coming but the next thing I know, the guy's letting go of my throat and I'm falling on to the ground.

I cough and suck in as much air as I can before looking up. The guy is on the ground and the dog is biting at his jacket. He shoves the dog off and back off some, grabbing the stick again. He starts to move towards me, but the dog is in front of me instantly. He's growling, his back is bristled, and it's like he's a completely different dog now. He's protecting me… I slowly get up off the ground and look from the dog to the man. The man is tense, backing away while holding the stick up.

"Bruno! You're gonna get it if you don't cut it out." He slowly moves towards the dog and tries to hit him again with the stick but the dog bites down on the stick and yanks it out of his hand. The guy takes a step back, visibly scared now. "Damn it… Fine, you know what? Keep the bastard mutt. He's a garbage dog anyway..." He keeps walking back until he's a good distance away and he turns and takes off running. The dog starts to follow him until I call out to him.

"Wait! Stop!" To my surprise, the dog listens and looks back at me, his head tilted. I kneel and beckon to him, waiting to see if he returns. He's hesitant at first, but as soon as he sees how calm I am, he comes up to me. I slowly pet him to help him calm down and once he's calmed, I throw my arms around him. "Thank you… You're not a bad dog at all, are you?" I untie the rope from his collar and check his tags. It's a basic set. One tag with his name and one tag with Vax information. I sigh, scratching his chin. "Well, at least he cared enough to get you your shots…" How do you mistreat a dog like this and then just give him up? What do I do now? I haven't taken care of an animal in a long time… Will Mom and Dad even let me keep him? Only one way to find out.

I head out of the park, looking down and feeling pleased that the dog is following alongside me, and go through ideas in my head on how I can convince my parents to let him stay. Maybe if I explain the situation to my dad, he'd feel bad for the dog and let me take care of him… At the very least, he needs to be cared for, even if I can't keep him. A bath is certainly in order, and a shower for me. I am covered in dirt and my face is throbbing where the guy hit me…

We get back to my house and I'm happy to see that my parent's cars are gone. One less thing to worry about right now…

"Okay bud, let's get you cleaned up." After leading him up to the bathroom, I get a good look at myself in the mirror. There are bruises forming around my neck where the man tried to choke me, my whole left cheek is bruised and there's a pretty nice gash going down to my jaw. "Jesus…." I touch it lightly, wincing from the pain. I clean the cut as best I can without opening it again and use a butterfly bandage to cover it. Mom is going to freak out when she sees this… I pet the dog and get a clean towel for his bath.

I start filling the tub with warm water and try to coax him in but he's not budging so I resigned to just putting some shorts on and standing in the tub with him. He's not too heavy and doesn't resist when I lift him up so it's easy to get him settled in the water. He stays still throughout the whole process, only moving some when I bring the shower head down to rinse him off. He smells so good now, just like my strawberry shampoo. Well, I did use that on him. It seemed the most pet friendly.

Once sure I've scrubbed every inch of him, I pull the plug in the tub and step out to grab his towel. Unfortunately, he has other ideas and shakes most of the water off, spraying me in the process.

"Hey!" I laugh and dry him off completely before drying the floor. "You're lucky you're cute." I grab my blow-dryer and a comb, smoothing his fur and taking out any snarls that are still there. He cleans up nicely, if I do say so myself. He has a beautiful coat, a mix of black and brown with a cute black patch over his left eye. I open the bathroom door, poke my head out to make sure no one is around, and lead him to my room. I get him to lay down on my bed before I grab some fresh clothes so I can wash up myself. No one goes in my room, so he'll be fine, if he doesn't chew anything… No, he seems trained enough, so he'll be fine.

I take a hot shower, washing away the dirt and bit of blood left on me from the cut. The water stings like hell at first but it's worth it to feel all clean again. I hum a song to myself as I'm finishing up and right when I'm getting dressed, I hear a scream that scares the heck out of me. I throw my clothes into the hamper and run out of the bathroom. My bedroom door is open, and my mom is standing in the doorway.

"Mom?!" I look towards my room and see the dog sitting, hunched in a corner. My mom spins around and looks right at me.

"Victoria Vega, why is there dog in your room? Where did this dog come from? Your father is not-" She stops suddenly, and a look of deep concern replaces the previous look of confusion and anger. She takes a step towards me and cups my cheek, being careful not to touch the cut. "Tori… What happened to your face? What happened to your neck?" I feel myself blush and I don't meet her eyes, knowing she's going to be mad I did call Dad.

"I... got hurt while protecting that dog. His owner was beating him, Mom… H-he went to hit the dog with a stick, and I tried to stop him. He hit me with the stick and… tried to choke me..." She inspects my face and neck before looking me with an angry expression.

"You were attacked, and you didn't call someone once you got away?" Called it.

"I didn't think about it at the time...and the guy had already run off."

"Tori..." She sighs. "You took his dog?" I shake my head, glancing up at her.

"No, the dog got between us and was growling at the guy, keeping him away from me. He got scared and told me to take him, calling him a garbage dog. I couldn't just leave him there…"

"Your father is not going to be happy about this…but I'm proud of you for defending that poor thing." She surprises me with a hug and smile, hugging back.

"Does this…. does this mean I can keep him?" She laughs, shaking her head.

"Oh no, you're going to have to talk to you dad about this. Nice try though."

"It was worth a shot." I grin, pulling out of the hug. "I should go make sure he's okay. He's still really skittish."

"Alright Hun. Just know, if he breaks something, it's coming out of your allowance."

"Awe, what? So not fair…" She just chuckles and follows me into my room. I get down on one knee and call to him softly. His eyes go from me to my mom before slowly moving over to me. "Good boy… It's okay bud, she didn't mean to scare you…" My mom sits on my bed and just watches us interact.

"You really care about this dog, don't you?" I nod, not looking away from the dog as I scratch his ears. "I haven't seen you take to an animal like this since-" I stiffen and stop my scratching.

"Don't! Don't say her name...please." I feel my face get hot and my eyes sting with tears.

"Tori...It'll get better if you talk about Maggie. There's nothing wrong with the good memories, right?" Maggie… My first and only dog. I lost her a year ago and the whole situation killed me inside. I shake my head, pushing out the thought and not wanting to think about it anymore right now. "Honey... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you..." She reaches over and strokes my hair. I clear my throat, giving myself the chance to calm down, and look up at her.

"No, I'm sorry. I guess I'm still not ready to talk about it yet…" I sit and lean back against my bed and watch as the dog lays down, resting his head in my lap.

"So," My mom sits beside me as well and pets him. "What's his name?" I stop petting him and turn his collar around to remind myself what his name is.

"It says his name is Bruno." I shrug, not really wanting to call him by the name that guy chose. "It wouldn't feel right calling him that though."

"Hmm, he doesn't look like a Bruno anyway… Well, even if your father doesn't let you keep him, he's gotta be called something." I pet around his face and neck, looking at him as I try to figure out the perfect name for him. I still love that patch of black around his eye. It makes him extra cute. Maybe patch or patches? No, too generic. Besides it makes him look like a pirate, which is even cooler. I loved pirates as a kid. Pirates of the Caribbean was, and still is, my absolute favorite movie. Jack Sparrow was the best. Wait… Jack Sparrow…

Jack…

"I got it!" My mom looks up from her phone. "I'll call him Jack." The name seems to suit him well. The main thing will be teaching it to him, so he knows it's his name. "What do you think bud, you like the name Jack?" He doesn't respond much, but he does roll over some. I laugh and rub his belly. "I'll just assume that means yes." He wriggles around and even goes up to my mom, nudging her. "I think he likes you mom." She smiles and pets him more.

"He is quite a handsome boy…" She looks at me and I can see a question forming. "Tori…. Are you sure you're ready to take care of another dog? You still haven't gotten over-" I cut her off again.

"I don't know. I don't. But I do know that he needs me right now. He's been mistreated for who knows how long and he's not going to be able to trust anyone until he's around people who want to care for him."

"He seems to trust you just fine. He even turned on his owner, to protect you." That was something I was wondering myself. Why would he immediately protect me like that? Even though his owner was so mean to him, he shouldn't have just turned his back on him. Unless…

"He must have been worse to you than I thought, Jack…" Jack sits up and sniffs around, seemingly looking for something. He pokes his head under my bed and pulls out a bag. My throat tightens as I see what it is. Maggie's old things… I take the bag from him and open it. Her toys, her leash… Her collar… I hold the black leather collar, looking at the tags. I bought this for her myself when I was 8. I had saved my allowance for months to get it, but it was worth it, and I was so proud of myself. I grip it tight and hold it to my chest, failing to fight back the tears this time. Oh god…. Maggie… Mom sets down her phone and I feel her arms wrap around me, pulling me to her and I start bawling.

"It's okay Tori…Just let it out…" I lean against her and just cry, like a dam has broken.

"I miss her so much Mom… She was my best friend…" She strokes my hair and gently rocks me.

"I know sweetheart… We all miss her. She was a good dog." I nod and start to dry my tears, looking over at Jack. He's lying on the floor and chewing on a ball. I feel myself get angry and I pull away from my mom, grabbing the bag of stuff and snatching the ball away from him.

"No! These are Maggie's toys! You can't have them!" I clutch it to my chest and glare at him as he just looks at me, head tilted.

"Tori…"

"No. He can play with something else, not these…"

"I don't think we have anything else for him to play with. Don't you think just 1 toy would be okay?" I look at my mom and then back at Jack before looking down at the bag.

"But...these are Maggie's toys... What if he breaks them?"

"Tori, listen to your mother." I leap at the sound of my father's voice.

"Dad!" I push the bag behind me and try, poorly, to hide Jack behind me as well. "W-what are you doing home so early?" He leans against my door frame, arms crossed.

"Tori, it's 6 o'clock." I glance over at my clock and see that he's right. He's always home by 6. "I think the real question is, are you really trying to hide a dog that's half your size?" He smirks and walks in, kneeling by Jack. Jack is hesitant, not sure what to do. Reflexively, I place a hand on his back so show him he's safe and watch as he lets my dad pet him.

"Wait, you're not mad that I brought a dog home?" He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Your mother texted me and explained the situation. I'm not happy that you got hurt, but I'm proud of you for standing up for this dog. Most people will just turn a blind eye to animal abuse."

"Those people are stupid and selfish…" I pet Jack and watch him pushing the bag of toys with his nose. I sigh and pick up the bag, pulling out the ball he was playing with it before. "You really want this ball, huh? Maybe that guy never bought you any toys…" I start to hold it out to him, stopping for a moment when my hand starts shaking. I swallow hard and set it down in front of him. "Here… Maybe Maggie would have wanted you to have it... It was one of her favorites…"

Mom and Dad shared a look and a smile, which does not go unnoticed by me. "Why are you guys so okay about this? Anyone else's parents would have freaked out." I pause. "Well, Mom freaked out, but that was because she didn't expect to see a dog alone in my room." Dad pulls me over and sits me in his lap, something he hasn't done in a long time and no easy feat since I'm bigger now and nearly 18.

"Your mom and I think this might be good for you. After everything that happened last year, you just haven't been yourself." I roll my eyes and look at him. He sighs and rubbing his neck. "That's not to say you haven't been through a lot. You have, but we were starting to worry that you wouldn't go back to being the old Tori."

"The old Tori? You say that like it's a bad thing. I grew up Dad… I had no choice…" I take a deep breath and fold my hands, staring down at them. "I'm...not ready to talk about it yet… I know it's been a year and I know you guys have been patient and have been letting me work through it in my own way, but I just want to forget about it. It still feels too soon, and I just don't know when I'll be ready." I lift my head some and look at both of them. "But I'm okay. I promise." My dad gives me a hug and nods.

"Okay. That's what I was hoping you'd say." Mom turns away for a moment, drying her eyes, and then looks back at me.

"I think we've had enough of a stressful day. I think I'll order some pizza for dinner. Tori, you should take him for a walk before it gets too dark." I nod, standing up and grabbing Maggie's bag, and take out her leash without even thinking.

"Alright. Come on Jack, let's go for a walk." Jack is just playing with the ball, not acknowledging the new name. We'll have to work on that. I clip the leash to his collar, and he stands right up, looking up at me. He must know what's going on now. I give Mom and Dad a kiss on the cheek before heading downstairs and putting my shoes on. There's still plenty light out so we can take a nice long walk. I scratch his ears and smile down at him. "Let's go, bud."


	2. A Breath of Fresh Air

Chapter Two

A Breath of Fresh Air.

The air is still cool and crisp… I love it. A walk around the neighborhood will most definitely do us both some good. Plus, this will get Jack more familiar with the area, so he knows that this is where home is. He seems to be having a good time, looking everywhere and sniffing everything.

"Jack." I call out to him in hopes he'll respond but he just keeps walking. I chuckle, shaking my head. This is going to take a while. We walk for a bit and greet some of the neighbors along the way. He's cautious but friendly, most likely seeing how calm I am, and even lets everyone pet him. I can't believe that guy would just give him up like that… He's so sweet and gentle, even for his size. Isn't that the kind of dog you want? One that won't hurt you and just wants love and to be loved…

I let Jack take the lead, wanting him to explore and feel comfortable, and he only tries to pull away a few times when he spots a squirrel or a bird. He's strong and I need to keep a firm hold on the leash to keep from being dragged by him. His breed, German Shepherd, are known for being very strong and he could drag me if I'm not careful. I call him occasionally, trying to elicit a response, but it only works once, and I have a feeling it was only due to the tone of my voice. I'll let him lead for a bit longer before we head back home as it's starting to get darker now and I hate walking around at night by myself. Also, my face hurts a lot and I want to get some sleep. I wonder if Maggie's bed is still in the attic…

A sharp bark pulls me from my thoughts.

"Jack? What's up buddy?" I feel a few raindrops on my face and realize why he barked. "Uh oh, time to head home!" I whistle and turn, running back with Jack keeping up beside me. We stop at a corner, waiting for the traffic to stop so we can cross, when Jack starts pulling harder on the leash. "I know bud, you don't want to get wet, but we have to wait." I stroke his ears and he settles down, sitting beside me. Once it's safe to cross, I give him a nudge and we take off running again. It only takes us 10 minutes to get home but by then we're both soaking wet and ready to get inside. I open the door and we rush in, Jack immediately stopping to shake off the water. A loud shriek comes from the couch, causing me to jump, and I look over to see my sister glaring at Jack.

"Trina?" She gets up, stomping over to us, and I know Jack can sense the hostility because he backs up with his tail between his legs.

"Tori?! Why is there a dog here and why did you let him throw water everywhere?! Look at my makeup! It's ruined now!" She stares down at Jack and points a finger at him. "Bad dog!" He inches further away and lets out a soft whine. I grab her arm, glaring.

"Trina... I'm only going to say this once. Leave my dog alone. He didn't mean to spray you with water." She looks at me, about to say something, but stops and looks at me with shock, anger, and curiosity.

"Tori. What happened to your face? Do I need to kick someone's ass?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay… What do you mean your dog? Do Mom and Dad know you have it?"

"They do and they're okay with it. Apologize to Jack." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"I'm not apologizing to a dog, Tori." I huff and let go of her arm, putting a hand on Jack's head.

"You scared him, and he's been through enough crap today. Besides, you called him a bad dog and I _really_ don't appreciate that. Now, apologize." She stares at me for a moment with a look I can't decipher before sighing and looking down at him again.

"Fine. I'm sorry...Jack?" She looks to me and I nod, a little surprised she's doing it. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just upset because I just finished my makeup and I'm going out with friends tonight." She reaches down and gives him one pet on his head. "There, okay? I said I'm sorry." I sigh, and smile. I fully expected her to just storm up to her room and sulk.

"Thank you Trin. I want to apologize too. I didn't mean for you to get all wet. We just got caught in the rain during our walk." She just waves it off, smiling too, to my surprise.

"It's fine, I guess. I wasn't feeling this outfit anyway. Now I get to go change before my friends get here. Oh, and I'm borrowing your silver jacket, bye!" She runs up the stairs to her room and I just shake my head, chuckling. I take my shoes off and dig through the linen closet, grabbing a towel and drying my hair before I turn to Jack.

"C'mere bud." I kneel and dry him off as well. Don't want Mom getting mad or complaining about the wet dog smell. Once I'm sure he's dry enough, I hang the towel on the coat rack and head upstairs to change into some dry clothes. A few minutes later, I come back down in sweats, a tank top, and my hair tied back. Jack is lying in the living room by the couch with Trina sitting on the couch beside him. She's petting him and talking to him softly.

"-always getting into trouble. I swear, she's a danger magnet." Trina chuckles. "I want you to take care of my sister. I know she said you've been through a lot, but so has she. Maybe you're just what she needs right now." I step back, biting my lip. Trina… This is so out of character for her…being uncharacteristically nice. She's also sounding a little too much like my parents. Why do they all think I need help? I mean… Okay, stupid question. I know why, but I'm always careful about how I act around them. There shouldn't be a reason for them to think otherwise…

Trina stays on the couch, petting Jack, until her phone rings. I creep back up the stairs and wait a few seconds before coming back down a little louder, making sure my presence is known. Trina looks over the back of the couch, waving at me while talking on the phone, and Jack runs up to me, tail wagging. I smile and pet him before going into the kitchen. The pizza is still warm, and I grab a can of soda while biting into a slice. Trina helps herself to slice as well and sits with me before her phone rings again. She answers it and tosses her crust to Jack, who gobbles it up immediately before looking for more. I notice Jack watching me and realize he must be hungry too. I need to get him something to eat…

Finishing my food, I run back upstairs and, after several minutes of begging, borrow Mom's keys after promising to be super careful on the road. Phone, wallet, keys umbrella… Okay, I think I have everything I need. I lead Jack to the couch and tell him to lay down, not wanting him to have to go out into the rain again. He should be fine for a little bit without me and a nap will do him some good. I kiss his nose and leave, promising to be back soon. I wave goodbye to Trina, knowing she'll be gone before I'm back, and get into the car. The pet store isn't too far from here, so it won't take very long. Maybe I'll pick up a few other things while I'm there…

* * *

"Jack! I'm back!" I shut the door behind me, holding a few bags, and look around. He's not on the couch anymore and I don't see him in the kitchen. Where is he? I hear a sharp yelp coming from upstairs and drop the bags, running up 2 steps at a time. "Jack?!"

"He's in here Tori." I hear Mom call out from the bathroom. I run it and see him lying on the floor while Dad holds him still and Mom holds some tissue to his ear.

"What happened?! Is he okay?!" I kneel in front of him and put a hand on his back. He lets out a whine and wiggles under Dad's hold.

"He scratched his ear. His nails are too long, and he scratched too hard."

"Jack... I'm so sorry buddy…" Mom cleans his ear once the bleeding has stopped and puts some ointment on the cut. He doesn't like it, but I pet him all over to keep him calm, and after a moment of inspecting, Mom says he's okay. Dad lets go of him and Jack gets right up, moving closer to me.

"I know you didn't like that bud, but it'll feel better soon..." I scratch his chin and look at my parents. "Thank you for taking care of him. I didn't realize his nails we're that long. I'll have to trim them, so it doesn't happen again…" Dad stands up, pulling my mom and I to our feet, and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll take him to a groomer tomorrow while you're at school. I have the day off anyway." I look up at him when he offers.

"Dad…" I shake my head, smiling. "You're the best…" I hug him and he returns the embrace, patting my hair. Jack sits beside me, almost leaning against my leg. I pull away from the hug and grin down at him. "Hey bud, I got some surprises for you downstairs. Let's go check them out."

I give Mom her keys back and take Jack downstairs with me, with Mom and Dad following to see what I got as well. Grabbing the bags, I sit on the floor with him and start taking things out. I think I went a little overboard, but I was more than a little overwhelmed when I got to the pet store. I show him his new food and water bowls, tennis balls, chew toys, rawhide bones and ropes toys, and by the time everything besides the food has been taken out, he seems rather overwhelmed himself. He's grabbing every toy and sniffing everything with such intense speed that I can't stop laughing.

5 minutes in and my ribs hurt, and my eyes are filled with tears. Even my parents can't contain their laughs as they watch him. I finally manage to get mine under control and I dry my eyes. Jack is now rolling on the floor, chewing on a squeaky burrito. At the rate he's going, some of these won't last very long. I underestimated his size and how strong the jaws of a German Shepherd would be. I'll have to get a few more durable toys next time. After a bit, Mom and Dad settle onto the couch to watch TV together, and I eventually stand up, petting Jack as he plays with his new toys.

"Alright Jacky, okay bud." I grin, watching him. "I know you like your new toys but it's time for your dinner. You must be super hungry by now." I grab his bowls and take them to the kitchen, filling his water bowl and food bowl to the top. He runs over and dives right into his food the moment I put it down. I smile, grab another slice of pizza, and hop up onto the counter to watch him eat. Yea, he was most definitely hungry. He gets halfway through the food before I'm even done with my pizza, and by the time I _am_ done, he's already by my side. I reach down and pet him, talking to him as he watches me. He brings a paw up and rests it on my foot while he nuzzles his nose against my hand.

"Good boy Jack…" My heart is warmed by the way that he looks up at me. He looks so happy… I slide off the counter and grab the box of treats I bought for him. Maggie loved these so I'm sure he'll like them too. He follows me and watches as I take one out and hold it so that he sees it but can't get it. Let's see if he knows any tricks… "Okay Jack, sit." He stares at the treat in my hand and shuffles a bit before sitting down. "Good boy!" I smile and let him have it, taking another one out. "Alright bud, lie down." Again, he listens perfectly and lies on the floor, tail wagging. I toss him the treat and kneel in front of him. "One more. Shake." He only watches me, eyes moving between me and the treat. Guess he doesn't know that one. I take his paw and put it in my free hand, repeating myself so he gets the idea. It takes a while, but he eventually gets it. He's so smart…What else can I teach him? We spend the rest of the night practicing tricks before it finally starts to get late.

"Tori, it's nearly 11 o'clock. Time to head to bed." I nod, tossing Jack his final earned treat for rolling over. I put the box up in the cabinet and say goodnight to my parents, hugging them both. I start heading up the stairs, but something feels off. Looking around, I realize Jack isn't with me. Strange how I only got him today, but it feels so natural with him beside me...

"Jack?" He comes out of the kitchen and follows me up to my room, hopping up on the bed once I shut the door. I laugh and nudge him over. "Okay buddy, you can stay here for the night, but tomorrow, I'll get Maggie's bed for you, so Mom and Dad don't get mad." I hit the light and get under the covers, chuckling when I feel him rest his head on one of my feet. Today was insanely tiring and it doesn't take long for me to fall asleep.

 _*Pop!* The deafening sound surrounds me, hurting my ears, and I jump. It's not real. **It can't be.** Fresh tears coat my cheeks and I can't see anything in the dark room. No, no, no, no… How did I let this happen?! Why wasn't I more careful?! A sharp pain in my side causes me to cry out and I fall over, sobbing. Why won't it go away… A soft whine comes from nearby, making me forget about my own pain. Maggie… I try to call her name, but no sound will come out now. Panic engulfs me and I struggle to get up, looking around blindly in the dark. She needs me… I need to help her… I try again to push myself up but recoil back once my hand touches something hard and cold. What is that? Reaching out, I grab it and inspect what it is, feeling sick when I figure it out... No... **NO!** I fling it, not wanting **that thing** near me, but it's too late. A loud thud is heard, and something has grabbed my foot, tugging it. Again, I try to scream but nothing happens. It's like my voice is completely gone. I need to get away. I need to get to Maggie. The thing that had my foot is stronger now and I can't stop it from dragging me down. I'm falling… the ground is getting closer, until-_

I sit up, gasping, and slide back in my bed, running my hands all over my body to make sure I'm in one piece. Jack is laying at the foot of the bed, watching me, and I don't notice him moving closer to me right away. I can't breathe... My chest feels tight, my heart is racing, and tears are streaming down my face. I feel something wet touch my arm and I flinch, looking at Jack. He stares at me intently and I throw my arms around him, burying my face in his fur. I cry like a baby and he stays there, letting me. I haven't had a nightmare that bad in months… One that chills me to the bones and makes me shake so hard it feels like my teeth are going to shatter from the force.

It felt so real… the sounds, the pain, the panic. Oh god… I did my best and it wasn't good enough… _You're pathetic_... Letting go of Jack, I lean back on my headboard and try to dry my tears without any success. There's too much and it won't stop now. I feel like I'll drown in my tears if I can't stop them. A huge weight falls on my lap and I look down at Jack as he tries to lean against me. I put my hands on his back and start to push him off, but it just turns into me petting him as my breathing starts to calm down. He's trying to make me feel better, I think… I keep petting him for what feels like forever and eventually, I'm not shaking anymore, and my tears have dried. My heart is still beating fast, but it doesn't feel like it's going to burst from my chest now.

"Fuck…" I stop petting him and run my hairs through my hair, glancing at the clock. It's only just past 3am but I don't want to go back to sleep. What if the nightmare comes back? What if it's worse? My heart starts beating harder at the thought and my hands instinctively go back to petting Jack. I need to relax. Just focus on Jack and everything will be okay… I'm home. I'm safe. Nothing will hurt either of us. I lay back on my pillows and let Jack rest his head on my stomach as I scratch his back. He's warm and his presence is more comforting than my old Cuddle-Me-Cathy doll. Concentrating on that helps me stay relaxed and soon, I'm falling back to sleep with no problems. Everything will be better in the morning…

* * *

Did I ever mention that I am not a morning person? Well, now you know... It doesn't help when you have an annoying older sister who hogs the bathroom. I bang on the door angrily, holding my towel and hairbrush.

"Trina! You've been in there for an hour! You're gonna use up all the hot water again!" No response, as usual. I shake my head, leaning against the wall. She can be so infuriating sometimes, I swear. Wait, I have an idea! I take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out. "Jack! Don't lie on Trina's bed!" I pause and count in my head. 3, 2, 1…. The door flies open, and Trina runs to her room.

"Hey! No dogs in my room!" She pauses, looking around for Jack. Doesn't take her long to remember Dad took him for a walk. By the time she realizes I've tricked her, I'm already in the shower and the door's locked. "Tori! That is not fair! I was almost done!"

"What? I can't hear you!" I giggle and wash up. I feel great. I slept well, despite the issue with the nightmare, but that seems so insignificant now. I just know today is going to be a good day. After a quick shower, I do my hair and makeup for the day, doing my best to cover the bruises on my face a neck. I can't put any makeup over the cut on my cheek so hopefully no one notices it. I wait by the door, knowing Trina is going to be standing right there. I have to time this just right… I swing open the door, duck down to dodge the balled-up towel and run past her.

"Yeah! You better run!" I laugh and run into my room, shutting the door. I still got it. I grab some fresh clothes, a black sequined top, skinny jeans, and undergarments, and get dressed. It feels like a good day to dress my best. Once I've completed my outfit with my black Converse, I head downstairs for breakfast. Dad and Jack are back, and Jack is eating his breakfast while dad reads the paper and enjoys his morning coffee. He sets the paper down and smiles when he sees me.

"Morning Sweetie. You look nice." I smile, blushing as I grab a bagel and pop it in the toaster.

"Thank you. Felt like dressing up a little more today." I pour myself a glass of orange juice and take a sip, looking over at Jack.

"Trying to catch the eye of some boy at school today?" He asks, smirking when I immediately spit out my juice. Jack jumps and moves out of the way.

"Dad!" I pout and grab a paper towel to clean it up.

"Sorry Hun, I had to tease you a little bit." He laughs. I keep pouting, cleaning juice off the floor, and toss out the paper towel before washing my hands. Dad gets up and grabs my bagel for me, buttering it and putting it on a plate. "Here. Might want to eat that fast. Trina's not in a good mood and will leave you if you're not careful." That makes me smile. I have an idea as to why she's not in a good mood.

"Thanks Dad." I dig into my bagel, eating half before looking back at him. "Hey, are you taking him to the same groomer we'd take Maggie to?" That was the only place I ever trusted to take care of her. Any other place would do a hack job on her fur. Dad nods, returning to his coffee.

"Yea, called this morning and made and appointment. It was last minute, but they made an exception." I chuckle, taking another bite of my breakfast. He probably pulled the "Cop" card. It's effective, but still, not fair to the workers and only really satisfying once.

Trina runs downstairs and gives me a dirty look before running to the door. Crap... I give Dad a kiss on the cheek, Jack a kiss on the nose, snatch my bag off the couch and run after her.

"Trina! Don't you dare ditch me again!"

"Sorry! Can't hear you!" She gets to her car, unlocks the doors, and starts to get in but she manages to drop the keys. In her haste to pick them up, she forgets to block me, and I manage to get into the passenger seat.

"Ha!" I grin, putting my seat belt on. She stomps her foot and pouts.

"No fair! You cheated!" She gets in too, putting her seat belt on and starting the car. She doesn't back out just yet. She's just kind of sitting there, staring out the windshield with this strange glare.

"Uh...Trina? What are you doing?"

"Trying to stay mad at you." I raise an eyebrow, watching her.

"Is it working?" She smirks, shaking her head.

"Nope." She pushes me playfully and backs out of the driveway. The drive is way better than it usually is, with us singing along to the radio. You know, when she's not forcing it, Trina sings kind of good. This is just another sign that today is going to be a good day. I can't wait to get to school.

* * *

 **Hey there everyone! I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! I've come to realize that I am a lot rustier at this than I anticipated, _but_ I'm going to push on and try not to force it. I work better without any pressure, and self-pressure is the worst. Anyway, I'm not very good at author's notes so I'll leave it here for now. See you all soon! -Mercy Vale**


	3. Anxiety and Coffee

Chapter Three

Anxiety and Coffee

I can't wait for school to be over… Two class periods and I'm already ready to leave. Classmates are obnoxious as usual, teachers are snobbish. The only class I know I'm going to be fine in is Sikowitz's, and that's only because he's so distracting. The only thing I can do to pass the time is draw, and that's if I manage to get away with not paying attention. I've already been reprimanded 3 times today for not listening. Probably would have been more, but I got better at hiding it. My newest work of art is some sketch of Jack. I'll hang it up in my locker later when it's ready. I pack up my things when the bell rings and the minute I'm out of the room, I hear a scream.

"To-ri!" I don't have time to look up before I'm tackled by something small, strong, and red.

"Cat?!" I sit up, wincing a bit from a sharp pain in my back. "You know how I feel about surprise hugs!" Cat just giggles, helping me up.

"Sorry Tori, I just really like hugging you." I can't help but smile at her and pat her head. She's too Adorable.

"It's fine Cat." I pick up my bag off the floor and my spilled books. Cat feels bad and helps me get my things but stops immediately when she spots my drawing of Jack.

"What a cute doggy! Did you draw this?" I nod, taking it and putting it in my art folder.

"Just a little something I was working on last class."

"I like it!" She smiles before focusing on my face. "Tori? What happened here?" She touches the bandage on my cheek. Of course, Cat would notice it. She notices everything.

"It's nothing, just a cut. You know how clumsy I can be." I shrug it off and walk with her to Sikowitz's room.

"You're not that clumsy..." She frowns a little bit.

"Regardless, it doesn't even hurt anymore. Don't worry about it, Kitten." That's a straight up lie. My face is killing me and the aspirin I took this morning already wore off, but I don't want Cat worrying too much.

Sikowitz's room is crazy as usual, and he isn't even here yet. Cat goes to sit by Robbie and Andre and I walk past Jade and Beck to get to my seat up front. Yeah, I'll definitely find a good distraction here. You never what's gon- I let out a squeak when my foot catches on something and I slam on to the ground. I wince, feeling my watch dig into my cheek from the way I landed on it. Ow… What the hell did I trip on?... Before I can push myself up, I feel two strong hands lift me back to my feet and feel a heavy pat on the back.

"Wow! Haven't seen someone fall that hard since my college days." Sikowitz dusts me off and inspects me. He seems genuinely concerned and I feel extremely embarrassed… Everyone is watching with mild curiosity, except for two. "You should go to the nurse and get that scrape checked out." He turns to write a hall pass for me and I look myself over. Scrape? I touch my cheek and my fingers come away wet. I'm bleeding. Great…

"It's fine Sikowitz, it looks worse than it really is, see?" I poke it and keep my expression stone solid, despite the intense pain I'm actually feeling."

"No, no. You can't pull one over on me Miss Vega. Now here." I pick up my things and take the note when Sikowitz hands it to me, but right when I'm about to leave, he calls out to me. "Wait, someone should go with you. I like the buddy system." Really, the buddy system in high school? What are we going to do, get lost in the library? I'm about to protest when a cold, bored voice calls out before I can say anything.

"I'll go with her." I snap my head to the right and stare at Jade. Jade? Why the hell would she want to be anywhere near me willingly? I watch as she stands up and pushes past Beck. She walks over to me and holds out her hand. Really? We're still doing this? I sigh and place my wrist in her hand, which she grabs and pulls to lead me out of the room.

We're out of the room for maybe 10 seconds before I feel beyond uncomfortable. I tug my arm from her grip and stop walking, watching her. She turns and crosses her arms, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What, Vega? You heard what Sikowitz said. You need to go to the nurse."

"Fine. Let's just make this quick, okay?" I glance at my watch and frown.. It's nearly time and I really don't want Jade to know about this. She's just going to use it against me like everything else. She shrugs, walking with me. We get to the nurse and she checks my face, confirming what I'd said earlier.

"It looks worse than it really is. Let's get it cleaned up and bandaged and you should be all set." She gets out the bandages and moves to clean my face but I stop her. I can do it myself. The nurse shrugs it off and goes back to reading her magazine. Jade is laying back on one of the beds, playing with her phone and occasionally glancing at me. I ignore her and go into the bathroom, washing my face. Unfortunately, the blood isn't the only thing that comes off and I groan, knowing I'll have to reapply my makeup to hide the bruise. It looks a bit better, but still looks gross… I'm in the middle of rinsing my face when the door flies opens.

"Vega, it's been 10 minutes. Can you hurry-" I turn around quickly, startled, and look over at Jade. Her expression changes quickly, going from irritated to shocked to confused before settling on a blank expression.

"Jade, what the hell?! Get out!" She shrugs and leaves, closing the door. I sigh loudly and turn back to the sink. After a few minutes, I come back out, the fresh bandage on my face and fresh makeup. Jade doesn't even look up when the door opens. She's busy playing on her phone again. I roll my eyes and return the box of bandages to the nurse and start to leave.

"Tori. Wait." I turn back to the nurse and see her holding a small yellow bottle with a white top. Damn it. I glance at Jade, seeing that she hasn't looked up yet, and go back to the desk. She takes out a pill and hands me a paper cup full of water, both of which I swallow quickly. She signs our note and I get out of there as quickly as I can with Jade following just behind. I don't even acknowledge her. I don't want to know what she'll say and I have a feeling this I'll be hearing about this for a while.

By the time we get back to Sikowitz's class, the period is nearly over and everyone is up and about, dressed as and acting like Roman Gladiators. I pout, watching them play fight, and sit in the back. This looked like fun and I missed it. I take out the drawing of Jack that I was working on earlier and keep adding detail to it. I don't notice someone sitting next to me until the bell rings and I look around. Jade's sitting next to me, sipping her coffee and looking bored again. What the hell? Last time I tried to sit next to her, she shoved me off the seat and put her feet up on it. I start getting that uncomfortable feeling again and stand up, grabbing my bag. I'm glad it's lunchtime now because I never got to finish my bagel and I'm starving. I move past Jade and start to leave but I freeze when I hear her say my name.

"Vega, wait up." She tosses out her empty cup and shoulders her bag, walking up to me. We're the last ones in the room now and that does not make me feel any less uncomfortable…

"What do you want Jade?" I shift my feet slightly, just wanting to get out of here.

"You're buying me a new coffee." I raise an eyebrow. Okay… Not what I expected.

"What? Why? You literally just had one. Why do I need to get you another."

"Because that one got cold while I was trying to be nice and help you when your feet stopped working properly. So therefore, you owe me a new one." She leans against the doorframe, inspecting her nails. I sigh, resigned, and just nod.

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go before we miss lunch too." I brush past her, heading to the café. She didn't even mention what happened back in the nurse's office… Not sure if that's good or not… You can never tell what's going on in her head. The only one who ever had some kind of mastery of her emotions was Beck and a lot of good that did him. They've been broken up for almost 3 months and things still seem tense between them… I guess they finally hit they're breaking point.

I get outside and wait for Jade. I'm even nice enough to hold the door open for her. She goes right past me and sits down at the table with our friends. Not nice enough to get a thank you it seems… I brush it off and go to the grub truck. I spent more money on Jack's things than I realized. I can either spend most of my money and get my turkey sandwich or spend some of it and get Jade's coffee… God damn it… I give Festus the money and take the cup of coffee. I'd rather stay on her good side, if she even has one… I set the cup down in front of a surprised Jade and sit next to Andre. Why is she surprised? I told her I'd get her a coffee. I pull out my art folder, deciding to finish the drawing of Jack. That's one way to pass the time.

The lunch period goes by without much excitement with everyone just talking about they're class projects. I've already finished mine though, alone unfortunately since my partner has been conveniently out sick all week. I'm so engrossed in finishing the drawing that I almost don't notice it when two items are set down in front of me. A sandwich and a bottle of green tea. I look up and see Trina standing beside me.

"Here, Festus got my order wrong so I'm making him do it again. I'm not wasting it, and you like this kind." Before I can even say anything, she stomps of, yelling Festus' name. Andre gives me a nudge once she's out of earshot.

"I'd check that sandwich, just in case."

"Trina wouldn't give me bad food." I roll my eyes, but discreetly open the sandwich up, just in case. It's perfectly fine, and I add mustard to it before taking a bite. Thank you Trina and thank you Festus. My mood is better after I've eaten and I even join in on the conversations now. Cat is trying to explain why bubble gum flavored water could bring world peace, and she even starts to make a good point after a bit, before she suddenly stops talking. Her eyes get huge and she starts jumping up and down while pointing at something.

"Tori! Look! It's a dog that looks like the one from your drawing!" Confused, I turn around spot a dog running this way with a leash flailing behind it. That dog looks suspiciously like-

"Jack?!" I jump up off the bench and run over to him, kneeling when he stops. "Hey buddy! Hi!" I giggle and pet and scratch him all over, not realizing how much I truly missed him. "What are you doing here bud?" He lays on his back and lets me rub his belly. I hear heavy footsteps and turn to see my dad running towards us and very out of breath.

"Good lord...that dog...is fast…" I chuckle and kiss Jack's nose before standing.

"Did you bring Jack here to visit?" He shakes his head, catching his breath.

"We were on our way...home from the groomers… See?" He motions to Jack and I do noticed that his shaggy fur has been trimmed to a more manageable length and his nails look much better. He looks a lot better now and less like a stray. "We got close to the school and I guess he saw you because he took off running." I start to pet him again but stop when I hear more running. Uh oh…

"Tori! Is that your dog?! When did you get a dog?! Can I pet him?!" I turn quickly and catch Cat before she can try to pet Jack. Jack, in turn, instinctively sits up and scoots away.

"Cat, wait! You need to be gentle with him. Please. He's very skittish." Dad picks up Jack's leash as I calm Cat down and instruct her on how to interact with him. Jack is antsy at first but lets her pet him. She does surprisingly well and once I'm sure he'll be okay, I allow the others to pet him as well.

"So Vega, when did you get the mutt?" I scowl, turning to Jade as she looks at me, unfazed.

"If you must know, I got him yesterday. He's a rescue." Well, it's not technically a lie I did rescue him. "And he's not a mutt. He's a German Shepherd and his name is Jack." I scratch his chin and check the scratch on his ear, seeing that it looks much better. He sniffs the ground, looking for something, and goes over by Jade who watches him with a frown.

"Watch it, dog. These are new boots." He just sits at her feet and looks up at her, tail wagging. To my surprise, Jade stoops down and pets his head slowly. I don't know what's more shocking, that Jack went up to her willingly, or that she actually pet him.

"Hey Tori, does he know any tricks?" Beck comes over to us, petting him as well.

"Hmm? Oh, he knows a few, but he might not want to do them since I don't have his treats." They start going through the basic tricks, all of which he does flawlessly. I turn my back to them, trusting them to play nice with him and talk to Dad, wanting to know how he did at the groomers.

Dad's in the middle of telling me how Jack made a huge mess when they were trying to give him a bath when I hear a loud growling bark and a shriek. I whip my head around and see Jack hunched up, growling at Beck, who's holding a big stick and looking scared.

"Beck! What happened?!"

"I just wanted to see if he could fetch and he started going crazy!" I rush over to them and grab Jack's collar, preventing him from moving closer to Beck.

"Beck. Drop the stick and he'll leave you alone." Now, I have no clue if Jack will calm down when he drops the stick, but it's a safe option right now. Beck looks at the stick in his hand and tosses it to the side, watching Jack nervously. It's okay buddy. We're safe… He won't hurt you…" Jack keeps staring at him but is visibly more relaxed now the stick is gone. I get him to sit and I pet him all over to show him it's okay. I sigh, looking up at Beck. "I'm sorry. He's been through a lot and I should have thought to warn you." Beck starts to say something but he's still watching Jack, not sure what to do. He's genuinely scared and it surprises me. Once I'm sure Jack is calm enough, I stand up and keep a hand on his back. That's something else we'll have to work on. I should have known that after being treated the way he was, he'd have a lot of mistrust and won't take to everyone like he did me. Seeing Beck holding that stick really set him off and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by it myself.

"Tori," I turn and look over at my dad. "We should get going. You need to get to class soon and he's had enough excitement for now." I pout, kneeling to pet Jack just a little more before he has to leave.

"Awe… But it was so nice to see him…" Before he almost attacked Beck that is...

"I know Sweetheart, but it's not like you can have him with you in class. How about I bring him by at the end of the day and you take him to the dog park? I bet he'd like that." I bite my lip, thinking back to yesterday.

"I don't know… What if that guy shows up again?" Dad scratches his beard, thinking it over.

"Hmm… You make a good point. Maybe should just come home, or you should have one of your friends go with you." I look at everyone expectantly, but frown when I notice they're doing their best to avoid looking at me. Beck coughs, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry Tori… I promised Robbie a ride to Santa Monica tonight to go see his grandma…" Wait… I know Robbie was going to see his Grandma, but I could have sworn he was getting a ride from Sinjin. Maybe Jack scared Beck that much and he doesn't want to be near him… Andre blushes, looking at Cat and at his hands.

"And Cat and I are going to see a movie… I kinda..already bought the tickets…" I let my head drop a bit, feeling sad. I want to go, but I don't want them to cancel their plans just for me.

"No, don't worry about it. We can always go another time."

"I swear, I have to do everything today." I look at Jade, confused, and she just rolls her eyes, looking down at me. "I'll go with you Vega. I've got nothing better to do today anyway. You're welcome."

"Uh….thank..you?" She just shrugs and resumes drinking her coffee. Cat looks confused herself, which is more normal than strange, and looks at Jade.

"But Jade, didn't you-"

"Hey Cat, look what I've got." She tosses her keys to Cat, who's instantly fascinated in them.

"They're so jingly!" I miss that interaction as I'm too busy saying goodbye. I give my father a hug and Jack a kiss on the nose, still sad that they have to go, but looking forward to after school.

"Thanks for staying as long as you did Dad, I really appreciate."

"Thank him, he lead me here." That makes me smile. While it's not good for him to run off like he did, I do take comfort in knowing he came right to me.

"Well then, thank you Jacky. It was nice to see you." I scratch his ears and let him nuzzle my hand. The bell rings and everyone starts heading in. "I gotta go bud. I'll see you later." I decide that a little fur won't kill me and I give Jack a hug, receiving a lick on my cheek. "Gross." I laugh and wipe away the slobber, waving at they both leave. That was really nice… Now I just need to get through the rest of the day and I can head to the dog park with Jack and...Jade. She's still here? I thought she went back inside like everyone else. She walks with me while I grab my bag and follows me to my next class.

"Jade? What are you doing? You don't have this class." She holds up a finger while taking a drink from her coffee before finally responding. She stops and looks at the coffee for a moment then holds it out to me.

"I'm done with this." She hands me the cup and just walks away. It's half full, and still warm. She always drinks the whole thing, even if she doesn't like it, which is rare. I shrug and just drink it myself. I bought it, so I'm sure as hell not wasting it. She is acting really weird though and I am gonna get to the bottom of it eventually. For now, let's just get through the rest of the day.

* * *

Dad's late and I don't see Jade anywhere. I guess she changed her mind… Oh well, maybe Jack will like the walk home instead.

"Vega, catch." I turn around just in time to see something coming right at me and catch it before it falls. A candy bar? I turn it over and look at the label. It's a white chocolate almond bar! My favorite! Jade comes over and stands next to me, holding a bottle of water and a bag of chips. "Don't think I bought it for you. The machine just spit it out and I hate that kind." I grin, tucking it away in my bag for later.

"Thanks anyway. I like these." She just nods and looks around.

"So, where's the mutt?" I roll my eyes and check my phone.

"My dad should be here any minute. He got a call from the station and had to get into uniform." Right on cue, Dad pulls up in his squad car. He gets out and opens the back door, letting Jack out while grabbing something. Jack is excited to see me it seems. He doesn't even wait when Dad tries to put his leash on. He moves around in circles, sniffing at my feet before settling between me and Jade.

"Hey buddy. Told ya I'd see you later." I chuckle, reaching down to pet him. My hand bumps another hand, and I realize Jade was going to pet him too. I pull back, blushing, and clear my throat. "Sorry." She just shrugs and scratches his ears. Dad tosses me Maggie's, now Jack's, ball and a small zip bag of his treats. I thank him, hug him, and then say goodbye, knowing he needs to get to work. I put everything away in my bag and turn to Jade. "Ready to go. The park's not too far from here. It'll be a 15 minute walk."

"I'm not walking." She turns and starts walking away.I groan, following her.

"Wait, you're bailing out just because we have to walk?" She stops, looking over her shoulder with a mildly irritated expression.

"Vega, I have a car and I'm not leaving it here. Let's go." Oh… Okay, now I feel stupid. I forgot she had one. Maybe Jade giving me a "ride to school" scared me so much I blocked out the memory. Regardless, I'm glad to not have to walk all the way there. Jade unlocks my door and I look the car over before getting in. All black interior and exterior, not that I expected anything else, and for her, it works. Jack gets settled in the back and I only just get myself buckled in before she's pulling out of the parking lot.

Oh god she drives almost as bad as Trina… Not in the same sense as her though. Jade ignores all of the courteous driving rules, cutting it too close on red lights and going just past the speed limit. She seems comfortable as she drives though, it's like it's second nature to her. This time around, I don't feel like I need to force conversation. I just watch her drive, watch the road, and pray we make it there in one piece. After the first few hectic minutes, I actually start to feel more comfortable myself. Maybe she's not as crazy of a driver as I though. Hey, she just let that elderly couple cross the street, that was nice of her.

"Move your ass, Grandma!" Okay, maybe not… Why am I laughing? Any other time, I would have felt bad for the person getting the brunt of Jade's anger, but right now, it's really funny. My ears catch a small chuckle that's almost buried under my own laughter and a quick look at Jade shows me she's smiling. Not that sickly sweet fake smile she always gives me, but a genuine smile. I guess she really does enjoy scaring people. Any awkwardness we had before is gone and I find myself cracking jokes with her, mostly about the look on the woman's face when Jade screamed at her. It really was priceless.

When we finally get to the park, I feel exhausted just from laughing so much that I don't get out right away. Jade does though, and even lets Jack out for me while I gather myself. I make sure I have my things before getting out and walking with Jade to the dog park. As soon as we get close, all the happy fun times are gone and my anxiety is going through the roof. Jade is tough, and mean, and scary, but even with her here with me, I don't feel safe enough knowing the Jack's old owner could be lurking around What if he shows up and tries to take Jack away or hurt us?... Fingers snapping in front of my face pulls me back to reality. I blink a few times, looking at Jade.

"I know we didn't come all the way here just for you to zonk out. Thought you wanted to play with your dog." She looks impatient and…concerned? I shake my head, trying to clear out the negative thoughts.

"Sorry, just...a lot on my mind." I take out the ball and toss it to her. She holds it gingerly and inspects it.

"Damn Vega, you need to buy better toys. Your mutt's already chewing this to pieces."

"It's not new. Well, for him it is, but that ball's pretty old now…" I don't say elaborate and she doesn't ask, instead deciding to chuck the ball for Jack to go after. We do this for a while, tossing the ball for Jack to chase, and we even get him to try the mini playground in the dog park. He's okay with most of it, but the see-saw bothers him. By the time a couple hours pass, Jack is thoroughly exhausted and even Jade looks pretty tired.

"Damn… That dog has a lot of energy." She takes a drink from her water bottle before passing it to me. She's been so nice to me… Like, genuinely nice. I'm actually feeling bad for assuming she had some ulterior motive for coming with me today... I take a drink, leaning back against the tree we're sitting by.

"Yeah, I just hope I have the energy to keep up with him." I smile and feel a light bump against my shoulder.

"You're a natural born dancer. You've got a lot of stamina so you'll be fine." I almost choke on the water when trying to take another sip.

"Wow, Jade West gave me a compliment. I'm honored." She doesn't even have a snarky remark. She just shoves me lightly.

"Oh shut up." She tries to sound grumpy but the smile is a dead giveaway. Maybe she's finally decided she wants to be friends. I just chuckle and pass back the bottle of water. She takes it and pours some in her hand for Jack to drink, which he does happily. "So… Are you going to tell me what happened to your face?" I nearly drop my candy bar and look right at her. I freaking knew it...

"Why are you bringing this up now? I thought we were just having fun hanging out…"

"We are. But, I want to know what happened. Even though I like to mess with you, I've never gone out of my way to hurt you." I roll my eyes.

"Remember the bush daisies?" She shrugs, putting the water away.

"Hey, I read your medical records remember? I knew it wouldn't kill you. I just wanted you all puffy and itchy so I could take my rightful place as leading lady in Sikowitz's play." I shake my head, sighing. That definitely sounds like Jade.

"Fine, so you didn't try to 'hurt' me. What does that have to do with this?" I motion to my face.

"Someone did that to you, and I know this because if it was an accident, you wouldn't have used a gallon of makeup to hide it." As irritating as it is to admit, she's right. Had I just fallen and did this to myself, I wouldn't have cared. "Messing with you and teasing you? That's my job. If someone else wants to take over, they've got to deal with me first." I sigh, opening the candy bar she gave me earlier.

"It's not like you'd be able to kick their ass. I don't even know who the guy is."

"Does he go to our school?" I shake my head, taking a bite.

"No, but he's the reason my dad wanted someone with me here. Right here is actually where it happened and it's the reason I have Jack now." I glance at him and see that he's resting his head on Jade's leg, taking a nap. "The person who did this was Jack's previous owner." Jade doesn't say anything and I assume that she's heard enough until I feel a hand on my arm. The contact is so light, it's as if a mild breeze could blow it away. I look at her and see her staring at me with a mix of emotions.

"I'll listen, if you want to talk about it." I stare at her for a moment before looking down at the half eaten candy bar, thinking it over.

"Alright… It happened after school yesterday…"

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Guess who's not sick anymore! This is the best I have felt in the past week and a half and I really have you guys to thank for that. Working on "Good Dog" has help take my mind off of the pain and frustration. Since I felt so good the past couple days, I was able to finish Chapter 3 a few days ahead of time! This one was a lot of fun to write, but now it's time to buckle up, because the road's going to get bumpy from here. -Mercy Vale**


	4. Author's Note

Hey there lovely readers! I just wanted to let you know that the next chapter is going to get dark, and while I don't have much experience writing this, I did the very best I could. The only personal experience I really have with this is anxiety, depression, and the not fun things that come along with that. I just wanted to give you the warning now so you have an idea what to expect and can brace yourself. The next chapter should be up sometime later tonight. (It's almost 10pm as I'm posting this AN.) So look forward to reading it once it's live! -Mercy Vale


	5. The Twisted Truth

Chapter Four

The Twisted Truth

"And that's everything that happened." I glance over at Jade. She seems deep in thought, her elbow resting on her knee and her chin resting in her hand.

"Okay so, you saw some guy hitting the dog, you confronted him, and he attacked you? Man Vega, you're tougher than I thought." She chuckles, shaking her head. "Did you say you were up a tree? No way." I cross my arms, grinning.

" _That's_ the part you don't believe? I've climbed this tree so many time, I could do it blindfolded." I pat the trunk of the tree, looking up at the branches.

"Prove it."

"Wait, you actually want me to climb the tree blindfolded?" I give her an amused smirk, sitting up.

"Not blindfolded, but I would love to see Miss Prim and Proper work her way up that tree." She shifts over so that she's facing me but not so much that she wakes up Jack. "That is, if you really can." I grin and grab my bag, pulling out my gloves and tugging them on.

"Watch and be amazed Miss West."

"Really? Gloves?"

"Hey, you try climbing a tree with your bare hands. You'll be pulling out splinters for a week." I stand up and dust myself off. I take a few steps back from the tree, take a deep breath, and run towards it, using a foot to propel myself up. I'm so glad I wore my Converse. This is a little more difficult to do in boots and heels. I push up enough to grab the nearest branch and I pull myself up onto it. The hard part is over. It's a cakewalk from here as I balance carefully on each branch. "Who's Miss Prim and Proper now?" I grin down at her, sitting about 12 feet up. I don't normally go this high, but I wanted to show off. I look at Jade and see her clapping, a noticeable smile in her face.

"Okay, I was wrong. Apparently you're part spider monkey." I stick out my tongue and start making my descent from the tree.

"It's not hard once you've done it long enough. You should try it." I get down to the last branch, hook my legs over the back, and dangle upside-down, smiling at her. She shakes her head, watching me.

"I'd rather not break my arm and make you take care of me, since it would have been your fault for convincing me." I chuckle, lowering myself from the last branch.

"You are a bitch." My feet touch the ground but my top is snagged on the tree.

"Well, well, well. You better pick your words carefully Vega. You're giving me quite a show and I have a working cell phone." I struggle to get myself unstuck, praying she's not actually recording.

"Jade West, don't you dare." I hear shuffling behind me.

"Alright, alright. Here, let me help." I see a hand come up from behind me and start to remove my shirt from the tree but it stops and pulls away.

"Damn Vega… That is one crazy scar…" There is a light tickly feeling near my hip and then a more deliberate touch. I go into panic mode instantly and move away from her hand, ripping my shirt off the tree in the process.

" **Don't touch me!** " I back away quickly and fall back onto my butt. Jade looks shocked from my reaction and I stare at her, breathing heavily with tears already streaming down my cheeks. Jack is up and at my side in an instant, pushing his nose against me to get my attention. Jade takes a small step towards me and I flinch away, scooting away from her. "Get away!" I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my head in my hands, rocking to calm myself and counting to 10 in my head, over and over. I don't know how many times I finish counting, but it's not working. I need to call Trina, or Mom, or… I want my dad…

Something wraps tightly around me and as hard as I fight to get away, it's too strong. I'm hyperventilating and struggling to get away from the binds.

"Shhhh… It's okay...Breathe Tori… Breathe…" Jade? That's right… we were hanging out at the park… I was climbing the tree and then… My scar… I freaked out on her… I need to relax. I need to calm down… I take calculated breathes, focusing on that until I'm not gasping anymore. My head starts to clear and I'm starting to become more aware of my surroundings. I'm leaning against something and there's a hand on my back, rubbing slowly. That helps me calm down too.

After what feels like an eternity, I bring my hands up to my eyes and try to dry them. "Feeling better?..." My eyes shoot open and I look right at Jade. She was the one holding me… She's holding me and watching me with an intensity I've never seen before. I pull away quickly, her hold not as tight anymore, and stare at her, on my guard. "Whoa… Easy Vega." I watch her, my heart racing and remember what just happened.

"Oh my God… Jade, I am **so** sorry…" Tears spring back into my eyes and I feel awful for going off the way I did.

"Damn it Tori. Stop apologizing. You had a panic attack. Do you really think I would get mad at you for that? I'm not that much of a bitch…" I start to say something but my mouth is incredibly dry. She seems to understand and passes me the bottle of water. "Drink. You'll feel better." I take a long drink of the water, still feeling lightheaded and still shaking a little bit. "Does this happen often?" I shake my head, not meeting her eyes.

"No…." I feel her hand on my shoulder and I fight with myself to look at her. I don't want to see any judgement in her expression.

"Tori… Whatever I did to set you off, I'm sorry, okay?" I nod and sit cross-legged, looking at the bottle as I turn it in my hands. "Geez… I really didn't expect that…"

"It's not your fault… I just…" I drop the bottle, running my fingers through my hair to get it out of my face. "I don't like anyone touching my side… If someone does, I have to prepare myself for it or...that happens..."

"It's got something to do with that scar?" I nod, looking up. She's watching me carefully, not being overly touchy, which I really appreciate.

"Yeah… It's something I try not to think about anymore…" I can see the curiosity burning in her eyes and I fully expect the obvious question of how I got the scar, but I get a different response.

"You don't have to tell me. I get it. It's something harsh." I didn't expect that… She's respecting my privacy.

"Look, it's not that I can't talk about it. It's just… I've only talked to my family about it. I've never told anyone and I don't know how to get through it without breaking down."

"When's the last time you tried?"

"A few months ago. My parents suggested that I should talk to a professional, but it didn't last long. The therapist didn't seem to care or want to listen so I quit going."

"Wow, she sounds like a fucking bitch." I snort. Yea, that sounds just like my therapist... I move some, rubbing my legs when they start to fall asleep.

"My parents weren't happy when they found out. After that, they left me alone, at my own request, to try and work through it myself. It worked for a while."

"So… something changed? I mean, if it was working fine before, something must have happened to bring it back."

"Yea, something changed…" I look down at Jack, who's laying against my side with his head in my lap. I pet his back, know that'll help me feel better too.

"It's because of the guy that attack you, isn't it?"

"Yea, but he's only a part of it. The other part is Jack…"

"The dog?" I just nod and pet Jack, using my free hand to rub my stiff neck. Jade takes my hand, pulling me over to the tree so I can lean back on it, and Jack lays across my lap with his head just slightly resting on Jade's leg. I watch her pet him and start to realize just how much she has done for me, without me having to… She listened to me and helped me. She took care of me when I had my panic attack and didn't judge me for it… I take a deep breath and tilt my head back against the tree, closing my eyes.

"Jade… Did you know I used to have another dog?"

"Oh yeah? Before you got the mutt, I always thought you were more of a cat person." I chuckle, shaking my head.

"No way, cats are okay, but I've always been a dog person. Maggie was amazing. She was a purebred Golden Retriever, and my best friend. Losing her was like losing a part of myself..." A tear escapes my eye and before I can catch it, it's wiped away. I open my eyes and look over at Jade, who's not looking at me.

"I bet she really cared about you."

"You have no idea… Maggie died saving my life." I take a shaky breath, putting my hands on Jack's back.

"Jesus Vega…" More tears are falling now and I bury my face in my hands. There's an arm around my shoulders and I don't even fight it. I lean against her and just cry. Just mentioning it is harder than I expected… I didn't think it would be **this** hard…"You don't have to talk about it, okay? Bitchy Jade is going away for now. This is Nice Jade talking." I wrap my arms around her tight and feel her return the embrace.

Some time goes by and I've calmed down again, but I don't move. I can't explain this feeling I have right now. It's almost like the feeling I had when Jack comforted me last night, but it's something more… She shifts slightly and moves one of her arms, her free hand now threading through my hair.

"It happened 2 months before I came to Hollywood Arts… Trina and our mom went to Nevada to visit our grandparents, and it was just me, my dad, and Maggie. Mostly just me and Maggie though. He was working on a big case and only came home when it was late." I rub my eyes, resting my chin on her shoulder. "It worked out though, he brought dinner every night and we'd have some time together before he had to go to sleep. We had a routine and for a week. Then one day, I came home from school and the front door was unlocked…" I tense up, gripping the front of Jade's shirt. Relax… I need to relax… I got this far, and she should know what happened… Jade tightens her hold on me and her free hand goes from my hair back to my back, rubbing. **You can do this…** Once I'm sure I'm not going to break down again, I dive into the full story.

* * *

 _*flashback*_

 _"Dad? You're home early." I shut the door behind me and look around, not seeing him anywhere. He must be in his room again. I toss my bag on the couch and go to the back door to let Maggie in. What the hell? There's a bunch of stuff against the door… Is Dad moving stuff again? I move everything over to the side and open the door. Maggie comes running up to me and I kneel to greet her._

 _"_ _Hey Babygirl!" Just before she gets to me, she's yanked back by a rope on her collar. "Maggie?" I start to get up to help her but I'm grabbed by the back of my shirt._

 _"_ _Get back here." I freeze. That is_ _ **NOT**_ _Dad's voice. Looking up, I meet a pair of unfamiliar eyes. "So, you're Officer Vega's daughter? You're a pretty little thing. It's such a shame." I scream and struggle to get away but he's strong. Really strong. I manage to bite him, but that only results in a hard slap across the face. Disoriented and in pain, I'm shoved into a chair and each hand is tied to an arm._

 _"_ _Please… Let me go… I won't tell anyone, I swear..." I beg him, tears pouring down my face. I watch him as he sets a gun down on the counter and digs through the drawers in the kitchen. He doesn't respond and the only sound I can hear is Maggie barking outside. He pulls out a large knife and approaches me slowly._

 _"_ _Your father ruined my life...and I'm going to take great pleasure in ruining his..."_

 _He drags the blunt side of the knife across my cheek and I squeeze my eyes shut tight, sobbing and begging him to not to hurt me. I feel my hair get yanked back so my neck is exposed and instinctively, I bring my legs up, kicking at him. I make contact with something and hear a grunt. There! I open my eyes and look at him as I keep trying to kick him again. He's grabbing at my legs but he can't get a proper hold on them so he starts slashing at me with the knife. I lock my legs around his and jerk them to the side, knocking him off balance._

 _He doesn't fall back like I expect. Instead, he falls on top on me and knocks me and the chair over, breaking the chair in the process. I cry out from the searing pain in my side and see the knife cut me badly along my hip. The intruder comes to his senses and sits up, grabbing my hair. "YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" He twists my hair and hits me over and over again until I'm dangerously close to blacking out before the final blow lands, there's this loud bang and the sound of broken glass hitting the floor. Suddenly, the weight on top of my is gone and I hear crashing and banging. One of the arms of the chair are broken off and I'm able to sit up._

 _Everything is spinning and my vision is foggy. A loud growl returns some of my focus and I look behind me. The man is struggling with something._

 _"_ _Ma...Maggie…" She's attacking him... I try to pull myself up to my feet but I'm weak and hurt everywhere. *_ _ **Boom**_ _* The sound is deafening. Maggie lets out a cry but doesn't let loosen her grip. She knocks him down and the gun goes flying, sliding near me. I stare at it and reach for it, stopping when I hear a this. The guy is standing over Maggie. She's whimpering and he shoves her aside with his foot. He looks right at me, breathing heavily._

 _"_ _You… You're next…" He comes towards me but stops right when he realizes I'm holding the gun. I'm shaking and my vision is blurry but I only see him. "He-hey now.." He starts to back up, his hands up defensively. I get dizzy and shake my head to clear it, which he takes as an opportunity to run towards me. I tense up and pull the trigger just as he reaches me._

 _I drop the gun almost immediately after, the noise being too loud. One shot is all it takes though and the guy stumbles back, falling to the floor. I slide back slowly, not sure if he's going to get back up. Several long minutes go by before I'm sure that he's not getting back up ever again and I will myself to stand and drag my beaten body over to Maggie. She's not moving and there's a red pool beneath her. Oh God…please...no… I touch her side and feel nothing. No rise and fall of her chest to show that she's breathing._

 _"_ _Maggie… Don't go..please…" I grip her fur tight and press my forehead to hers, my tears spilling onto her fur. "Good dog Maggie…I love you…" I don't let go of her. I keep my hold on her until I pass out._

* * *

I finish my story and look up at Jade, drying my eyes. She didn't let go of me once and it helped me talk without breaking down. Jade's cheeks are wet with tears and her hold on me is tighter than before. I can feel slight tremors shaking through me from her and her eyes are burning with a kind of anger I've never seen before.

"J-Jade?..." I try to sit up but she's not budging.

"That son of a bitch… That mother fucker…" She looks at me and she looks like a kid whose favorite toy was just broken. "He...he was going to kill you, just to get back at your father… He stabbed you and beat you… He shot your dog… Like….Jesus Fucking Christ Tori…" I nod weakly, all out of tears at this point.

"Yeah… I know…" I rub my eyes as they burn from crying so much. "I woke up in the hospital a day later… A neighbor heard the gunshots and called the cops, but we're too afraid to come see what was going on. The guy was...dead and they said I wasn't too far behind…" I cringe, still remembering all of the pain I'd woken up to. I'd lost a lot of blood and had a severe concussion…Not to mention bruising everywhere…

"I'd have killed him, had he survived… I'm glad you shot the bastard." I flinch, not liking that.

"Jade… I killed someone… No matter who he was, I took a life. That's not something you can just blow off…" She starts to say something but stops and sighs.

"You're right…but you fought back, and survived... You are amazing…" Her hold on me loosens and she digs through her bag, pulling out some tissue and passing some to me. "I can't believe you, Tori Vega, the good girl of Hollywood Arts, had to go through all of that… I feel like such a bitch for treating you the way I did. No wonder you hated me." I dry my eyes better and look back up at her.

"I never hated you… I just couldn't understand why **you** hated **me** … I never did anything wrong to you but you seemed to go out of your way to mess with me." That only makes her look sadder and I put one of my hands over hers. "But you saved my life too… Hollywood Arts was supposed to just be a distraction from the memory, but after I met you, you gave me this drive to do better and you brought out my competitive side. You gave me a reason to live Jade." The realization comes to her and she looks right at me. I just nod, knowing she understood now. "You saved me from myself, and not one day goes by that I don't thank you for that."

"Tori…" She hugs me tight and I return it. It's true, I have no idea where I would not had I not met Jade… "I am so sorry for how I acted towards you… I was being stupid and..." She sighs. "I'm just glad I had a chance to fix my mistakes..." I lean into the embrace, keeping a hand on Jack. He fell back asleep during my story and I didn't want him to move. He and Jade both gave me strength to get through it...I close my eyes and feel the intensity of today fall away as I relax against Jade.

*A Few Hours Later.*

I don't know when I fell asleep, but the next thing I know, my shoulder is being shaken and I'm waking up, cold and confused. "Vega… get up. Your dad called and he was freaking out." I rub my eyes and go to check my phone but can't find it. "I answered it for you. Here." She passes my my phone and I sit up quickly. It's nearly midnight… How long was I asleep?! I stand up and look for Jack, spotting him behind Jade.

"Jack, we gotta go bud. Come on." I start to clip the leash to his collar when Jade stops me.

"Whoa, relax. I explained to him that we fell asleep at the park and I told him I would drive you home. Let's go." She takes my hand and leads me to the car.

Jade is silent the entire drive to my house, besides a yawn here and there. She does look at me a lot though when she thinks I'm not paying attention. I wish I knew what was going through her head… I mean, she made it clear how she felt after I told her what happened to me, but since falling asleep, she hasn't brought it up once… She's still quiet when we get to my house but she does walk with me to the door. I get a short goodnight and she turns to leave but I stop her, grabbing her arm.

"Vega, it's late. We both need to get some sleep…" Her voice is a little husky, like she's having a hard time trying not to cry…

"Stay the night." She looks at me, unsure.

"What?"

"It's late and you're tired… I can't let you drive like that… Please? I don't want you to get hurt…" She appears to be thinking before nodding. I let her in and I love the door. My dad is waiting in the kitchen, wanting a full explanation from me. I just explain that we played and hung out at the park all day before falling asleep in the shade. After promising it wouldn't happen again, and thanking him for letting Jade stay, we head up to my room. Jack stays downstairs with Dad, wanting his now very later dinner.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week straight…" She flops on my bed, kicking off her shoes. I chuckle softly, getting out pajamas for us. She's a bit bigger than me so I grab one of my bigger nightshirts and shorts, tossing them to her. I start changing into mine, not feeling uncomfortable because we're both girls and she's already seen my scar. "Tori…" I turn around and see she's already put her clothes on and is now walking towards me. She reaches towards my side and I stiffen. "May I?..." I swallow hard and take a deep breath, nodding. Her touch is light as she traces the length of the scar. She mumbles something under her breath that I can only assume rhymes with brother trucker. She lets out a sigh and turns around, going back to the bed, getting under the covers. I finish dressing and turn off the lights, getting into bed as well.

"Hey Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for listening to me today…" She gets quiet again and I almost swore she fell asleep until she finally responded.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me…" I bite my lip, wanting to know something.

"Can I… Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Smart ass." I hear her chuckle as well as feel it shake then bed a bit.

"Wouldn't be me otherwise." I just shake my head, smiling.

"Seriously. Why have you been nice to me all day? Did you just feel bad because I was hurt?"

"I'll admit it was part of the reason, but I… Ahh, fuck it." I feel the bed shift just as I'm thinking she's going to leave, I feel a hand on my cheek. Before I can ask what she's doing, her lips are against mine. My eyes widen and I feel myself instantly blush. That's when it suddenly hits me. Oh… **OH.** She pulls away after a few seconds and settles back against the pillows. "There. Can we go to sleep now? Please? I'm really tired." I blink, still in shock.

"Uh...Y-yeah… G-goodnight Jade…"

"Night Vega." I touch my lips, still feeling the ghost of hers on them. Holy. Shit.


	6. Maple Kisses

**Hey everyone, sorry to keep you waiting but I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter. Not due to the chapter's contents though. I had lost motivation in continuing it for personal reasons. I took a couple days to rethink why I should keep going and I've decided to keep writing for myself. Posting each chapter and reading each comment makes me happy, so I want to make sure that no matter what, I will finish this story. For me.**

* * *

Chapter Five

Maple Kisses

I hate the sun… I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, trying to block it out. I was sleeping so good…It's Saturday. I should not be awake this early. I sigh and bury my face into my pillow, wanting to just go back to sleep. The pillow feels firmer than usual and that thought makes me open my eyes. Ducks? I don't have a duck pillowcase… I sit up a little bit and see that I wasn't using my pillow. Instead, I was using Jade as a pillow. I start to move away, not wanting to wake her, but I'm pulled back. Her arms are wrapped around me and she makes a small sound and she tries to get comfortable. I decide to just lay back down and watch her.

She's still asleep, but she looks angry with a frown on her face and her eyebrows tightly knit together. My thoughts go to yesterday and the look on her face when I told her my story. She was so angry… The rage in her eyes was incomparable, and I'd seen her at her worst. But I also saw her in a new light too. A new Jade I'd never experienced before. Someone who was kind, and caring...and protective. Not once had I ever seen her like that with Beck, but who's to say what goes on behind closed doors? Still…As harsh as she was towards me, she did have her moments. She helped me, begrudgingly, to get that Ke$ha concert, and she gave me the best idea for a Christmas gift for Andre, she tried to warn me about Ryder… Hell, she gave me back my spot at the Platinum Music Awards. She's done so much more than I realized…

My thoughts shift to last night and Jade's kissing me. That means she likes me, right? Has she always liked me? Or is it more recent? I sigh. This is confusing… Do I…do I like her back? I go through everything in my head, trying to figure it out. I'm always arguing with her, but it never turns into much. I always want to help her, even if I know it won't benefit me, though making her happy always makes me happy… Then there's yesterday. I really liked hanging out with her yesterday, and it was nice how she watched over me when things got bad. I felt safe with her. What about the kiss? It was… definitely not bad. It was really nice… I feel my face heating up in a fresh blush as I understand now. Oh my God… I think I like Jade… I think I like Jade and she likes me. What does this mean for our friendship?

Before I can get to those thoughts, Jade starts moving around. I blush more and close my eyes, pretending to still be asleep. Her arms disappear from around me and the bed dips slightly, indicating that she's gotten up. Is she leaving? Maybe she's just trying to avoid any awkwardness. That does not appear to be the case though. The door opens and I look up. She's still wearing the pajamas and I know Jade. She wouldn't just leave while wearing ducky pjs. A few minutes go by and the door closes, soft footsteps moving this way. The bed moves and the blankets are pulled back up. Nothing happens at first, and I'm about to 'Wake up', when Jade's arms go back around me, pulling me back against her. She's holding me again… Without even thinking about it, I move so that my head in just under her chin and my arms are around her waist. She's comfy and warm… Jade starts humming a song that sounds familiar, and it's so soothing that it nearly lulls me back to sleep. As soon as I'm relaxing more against her, a light touch on my cheek wakes me up again. She's kissing me… I can't help it. I open my eyes and look at her, unable to fight my smile. She looks a bit surprised, but she smiles, and doesn't move away from me or let me go.

"Morning Vega…"

"Morning…" I sit up a little bit, wanting to do something. She already kissed me so I know she probably won't be bothered by this. I reach up, caressing her cheek, and smile when she leans into it. Her eyes flash down to my lips for just a split second and I decide it's now or never. I lean closer and gently press my lips against her, feeling butterflies erupt in my stomach when she starts kissing back. Whoa… This is nice... **really** nice… I'm just about to deepen the kiss when my door flies open and Trina walks in.

"Tori, mom said to come down for...breakfast..." I pull away and look right at my sister, blushing. Trina's eyes go from me to Jade and they get bigger before she just turns around. "I'm going back downstairs." She closes the door and I feel the bed start shaking so I turn to Jade. She has a hand over her mouth and she's trying **really** hard not to laugh, but fails. She starts giggling and presses her face against my neck, unable to contain her laughter. Watching her gets more and more amusing and I start laughing with her.

"Vega...That…That was great." She grins, sitting up completely. "That might be the funniest thing I've ever seen and I've seen you with zombie makeup glued to your face." I nod in agreement, grinning too. Trina's face was priceless.

"If I had to pick a way to come out to my family, that is definitely the most hilarious way."

"Wait, come out? So, you like girls then?" She smirks and I laugh.

"Well, my lips were just on your's about 2 minutes ago." The truth is, I've never actually felt an attraction to another woman until now.. Jade turns away from me, crossing her arms.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I smirk, getting an idea. I grab the front of her shirt and pull her close so she's facing me.

"Maybe you need a refresher then." She blushes, unable to hide her surprise at my aggressiveness.

"Uh…" She shakes her head, regaining composure, and removes my hand from her shirt. "Maybe I do…" Before I can even think, her other hand goes to the back of my head and she pulls my face to hers, catching my lips with her own. I get that fluttery feeling in my stomach again and l place my free hand back on her cheek, stroking it with my thumb. I feel like I could do this all day… I feel so warm and content right now and I don't want to stop. Which I have to do, unfortunately, because I run out of air. I pull away, catching my breath, and look at her in amazement.

"Wow…" I run a hand through my hair, pulling it away from my face. Jade just smirks, looking a little smug.

"Took your breath away Vega?" I'm about to say something when my stomach gives an audible growl. I blush and slowly get up.

"Let's get some breakfast. I never had dinner last night and I am starving." I say quickly, dodging this question. She chuckles and shrugs, sliding out of bed too. I grab my brush, getting rid of my bedhead, and then toss it to Jade, knowing she'll want to use it.

We head downstairs, greeting my parents who are setting plates down, and giving an awkward good morning to Trina. She just nods her head in our direction and doesn't look up from her phone. Jack is in the kitchen too and enjoying his food but he does stop to greet us, tail wagging fast.

"Hey mutt." Jade smirks and pets him before he comes over to me.

"Morning buddy." I smile, scratching his chin. I give him a kiss on his nose and a nudge back to his food so he can eat. I sit next to Jade and dig into my own food. Mom made my favorite pancakes, banana walnut, and for the first few minutes, I'm not saying anything. Jade's having some conversation with my mom but I'm just enjoying my breakfast. As soon as my last bite is gone, a new pancake is slid into my plate. At first, I think it was my mom, but when I look up, I realized it was Jade. She gave me her last one.

"You don't have to give me yours. I had plenty."

"It's fine Tori, I'm full and you looked like you were really enjoying it." I blush and pick up the plate, trying to slide the pancake back onto her's.

"Here, it's yours. Take it back." She grabs her fork and stops it from moving.

"I don't want it."

"You're gonna take it, even if I have to feed you myself." I smirk and she does too.

"You're not winning this one Vega. I'm being nice so you **have** to take it." I grab the syrup and hold it above her head.

"Either you take the pancake, or I'm pouring this on you." Jade's eyes get huge and her free hand comes up to grab my arm.

"You wouldn't dare." I giggle, trying to move my arm as she does her best to keep me away from her. I won't **actually** do it, but she thinks I will and it's hilarious.

"Think I won't?" She laughs and keeps trying to get me to drop the syrup. We go back and forth like this for several minutes before Trina's voice cuts in.

"Tori! I'm trying to take my after breakfast selfie. Can you stop messing around with your girlfriend? It's distracting." Jade drops her fork, my mom looks up from her food, and my dad nearly spits out his coffee. I look at Jade, eyes wide, and then my parents.

"Uh…"

"Yes!" My dad smacks his hand down on the table, grinning. "No boys!"

"Wait a minute!" I start to say something but the bottle of syrup slips out of my hands. The good thing is that I managed to catch it before it hits Jade. Unfortunately, I caught the bottle upside-down… I turn it upright but it's already too late as Jade has syrup in her hair and it's dripping down her face.

"Oh, come on Tori!" I gasping and move my arm away from her.

"Oh my God, Jade! I'm so sorry!" She glares at me, but she has this slight smirk. What is she… She snatches the bottle from my hand and proceeds to pour the syrup on my head. "Hey!" Jack is circling our chairs, licking all of the syrup off the floor as it drips down. "It was an accident!" I glare at her, checking my now very sticky hair.

"And now I've made us even." She crosses her arms, glaring back.

"Even? I've got your 'even' right here." I grab my glass of milk. It's only half full but that's still enough to dump on her. She grabs my arms again, looking more serious now.

"Vega, I swear to God… I despise milk. You better not or I'll tell everyone at school you still have My Little Pony toys in your room." I hesitate for a moment and decide it would be worth it. I proceed to pour it on her but she pushes my arm hard enough to get some on me too. I stare back at her, shocked, and slam the glass down, standing up. Jade stands up too and we're both face to face, scowling at each other. Before anything else ends up on one or both of us, my mom cuts in.

"Girls! Stop it please, you're making a mess." Jade stops and looks up at my mother, blushing and embarrassed.

"Sorry Mrs. Vega…"

"Sorry Mom…" I pout, upset that there's syrup in my hair. Jade steps back and inspects everything. There's no more syrup on the floor, Jack took care of that, but now there's milk everywhere. I look at Mom sheepishly, and go to grab to paper towels. Coming back, Jade takes the roll and helps me clean up the mess. She's not looking at me and she's scowling again… I went too far with the milk… Now she's mad at me and I really have no one to blame but myself. We stand up once the mess is all cleaned up and I've wiped off Jack's paws where he stepped in the syrup. I start to apologize to Jade but she cuts me off.

"I'm sorry for the mess Mrs. Vega. It won't happen again." Mom nods and I looks at my father who honestly looks like he was wanting to laugh the whole time.

"It's alright Hun. Thank you for cleaning up. Tori take her upstairs and show her where the shower is."

"Okay Mom," I turn to Jade and motion for her to follow me. "Come on, I'll get you some clothes..." She nods and follows me up to my room after we apologize one more time to my parents.

I'm searching through my closet, trying to find something for Jade, but I'm distracted. She seemed so mad… She had every right to be. Is that going to change how she feels about me? Is she going to go back to the old Jade? We were finally getting along and I just had to go and ruin it… I'm so stupid… Things were going so well too… I stop bashing on myself internally when I feel two arms around me.

"Vega… Tori. Relax, I'm not mad anymore, okay? I'm still not happy about the milk, but I get it. I was just being petty about the syrup and I shouldn't have retaliated." I lean into her, not caring about the syrup since we're both covered in it.

"I'm sorry for spilling the syrup on you first…and the milk. I don't know what happened…" I was an idiot, that's what happened. I hear her chuckle, and look at her, confused.

"Don't worry about it. I think I like this feisty side of you. Now come on, I feel gross and really want a shower." She pecks my lips before lets me go and I watch her look through my closet for something to wear. She forgave me, and apologized… This woman is something else… I lick my lips and find they taste a bit like syrup. I chuckle some, happy we're okay now, and help her look for something. I don't have many clothes that will fit Jade, and what will fit her isn't her style. I'm ready to give up when I hear her gasp.

"Whoa Vega, you got a Halestorm shirt? That's my favorite band!" I turn and see Jade holding a black and purple lace-up shirt.

"Oh uh… Actually, that was your birthday gift…"

"But my birthday was like, 6 months ago."

"Yeah, I tried to give it to you but you were…not in a good mood." More specifically, she was mad when I interrupted her conversation with Beck and she launched the box up into the roof of the school… She also seems to remember the altercation and frowns, sighing.

"Oh yeah… Sorry about that…" She goes to put it back but I stop her.

"Hey, I got it for you, and it's your size so you might as well wear it, right?" She smiles, nodding and puts the shirt with the small pile of clothes I gave her.

"I'm gonna go take that shower… and Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"I **am** sorry…"

"It's okay, don't worry about it." I kiss her cheek and watch her leave, taking the clothes and going to the bathroom. I sigh and grab my own clothes, heading to my parents bathroom. I don't come out for a while, deciding that a long shower is just what I need.

By the time I **do** come out, Jade's already been out for a while. She already dressed and sitting on my bed, playing with her phone. She looks up when I come in and smiles.

"Hey." I smile, putting my clothes in the hamper before sitting next to her.

"Hey. Do you know how long it took me to wash out that maple syrup?" She laughs, nodding.

"If it took you as long as it took me, then yes. Remember who poured it first though." I stick my tongue out at her, giggling and grab my brush. She immediately takes it from me and moves to sit behind me. "Here, let me do it." She pulls the brush through my hair, humming as she does. It feels really nice to have someone do it for me, kind of like when my mom would brush my hair for me when I was little, but nothing like when Trina would brush my hair. She always rushed and pulled too hard. Trina… I start thinking about what she said.

"So… About what Trina said." Her hand moves a little too hard and I wince, pulling away. "Ow…"

"Sorry…" There's nothing for a moment and then she resumes brushing softly. "What about it?" I clear my throat, playing with my hands.

"Well, it got me thinking… We've gotten closer and we kissed… What are we now? Are we just friends, or…" I blush and cover my face,even though she's behind me and can't see my face. She stops brushing my hair and she tips my head back some to look at me.

"Are you asking if we're girlfriends?" I nod, moving my hands slowly. She appears to be thinking. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be my girlfriend, just because I like you. Hell, you don't have to like me because of that either."

"Oh…but, what if I do like you?" She raised her eyebrows. She had a feeling about how I felt but was supposed I was admitting it.

"Well, that does changes things, doesn't it?" She pauses, playing with my hair as she thinks. "Okay, how about this. Let me take you out on a date first."

"A date?" She nods.

"Yeah, let me take you out on a date. No one ever jumped into a relationship without going on at least a few dates, right?"

"True… Okay, let's go on a date." I smile. Jade smiles back and resumes brushing my hair until it's smooth and dry. I stand and check it in the mirror, seeing it done just the way I like it. "Thank you." She gives me a little mock salute and lays back on the bed, sighing.

"aSay, what's your favorite food?"

"I'd have to say pasta. I absolutely love pasta." I chuckle. "Is it for the date?"

"Maybe." She smirks and reaches over, grabbing her phone. I just shake my head and straighten up my room, picking up the bag of Maggie's stuff and putting it on my desk.

Jack comes into the room and climbs up onto the bed, sniffing around Jade before laying down and watching me. I smile and kneel in front of the bed, petting him. He looks so much better than he did the other day. That trip to the groomers did him good too. I check his collar again and look at the name tag. Bruno. That's not his name anymore… I take his collar off and toss it to the side. I'll get him a new name tag when I have the cash for it. For now, he'll be fine. Jack rolls onto his back and I scratch his belly. I play with Jack and let it distract me from my thoughts on the date. We play for a while and Jade joins in after a bit. She seems okay with him, not just tolerating him. The only thing that bothers her is when he tries to lick her face. She makes a grossed out face when he finally gets her and then proceeds to use my blanket to wipe off his spit, to which I complain. She just laughs and pets him again. My phone goes off and I check it, seeing that it's my noon alarm. I sigh and stand up, brushing myself off.

"I'll be right back. I need to do something really quick." I turn to the door and see my mom is already standing there.

"Tori." She comes in, holding a bottle of water and a pill bottle. "I brought it up for you." I give her an angry look. I didn't want Jade to know about my meds. Although, she might already know if she was paying attention in the nurse's office. Mom hands me the water bottle and a pill, which I take before drinking the water.

"Thanks." I set the bottle on my nightstand and sit on the bed. Jade looks at my mom, nervous, and sighs.

"Mrs. Vega… I just wanted to apologize again for what happened earlier. I didn't mean to make such a mess and get Tori upset. I'm just used to interacting with her at school and that's how we are, minus the food fight…" Mom waves it off, smiling.

"Don't worry about it sweetie. It's cleaned up now. Just don't do it again." Mom gives Jack a pet before heading back downstairs.

"Wow, your mom is pretty cool." I look over my shoulder and see her grinning. "My mom would have flipped out." I chuckle and lay back on the bed.

"Yeah, my mom's pretty great, when she's not being extra parenty." I smile. I watch Jade as she looks down at me and runs her fingers through my hair. "So, I guess it's okay for you to know, since you saw and everything. I've been taking medications for a few months now." I watch her to gauge her reaction, but she keeps playing with my hair and listening. "It was prescribed after I stopped going to my therapist. A different doctor I saw thought that it would be helpful and it has helped, somewhat."

"I **was** wondering about that, but I didn't want to pry. Is it an antidepressant?" I nod.

"Yeah, it helps the anxiety and keeps my thoughts clear, but it's not an instant fix, as you saw yesterday. If a panic attack is bad enough, it'll feel like I never to my meds in the first place."

"That's rough… My mom was on them for a long time after she and my father got divorced. She's better now. She met someone better and she hasn't needed any meds in about two years now."

"Wow… That's amazing, I'm happy for her. I don't think I met your mom. I remember meeting your dad though. He was…" How do I put it without being rude…

"A cold, judgmental asshole?" I sigh, looking up at her.

"Hey, you said it, not me." She shrugs, not really caring.

"He is. You should have seen him when I told him I was Bi. Said it was all my mom's fault."

"Your mom's? That's harsh."

"Hey, maybe it's true." She grins. "My mom didn't care, and neither did my step mom."

"Well, at least your dad's new wife isn't so bad." That makes Jade laugh so hard she falls over.

"Tori, my dad didn't remarry. My mom did." My eyebrows shoot up as I start to understand.

" **Oooh** " I start laughing too. So **that's** why he blamed her mother. "That is great."

"Yup." She shakes her head, still grinning. "I guess being gay is in my blood."

"Like mother like daughter, right?" That gets her going again and she has actual tears from laughing so hard.

When we finally relax, Jade tells me about her mom and step mom. They both work for the same law firm and met when her stepmom joined the company.

"So many guys would hit on her that she actually wore a hat that said 'Shh, I'm gay' in the back of it. She still has it. I've thought about wearing it at school." She chuckles.

"That is hilarious. I'd love to see that."

"Maybe I'll wear it just for you then." She smirks. I chuckle, thinking about how our classmates would react, and realize they'd react like that if they found out I was attracted to women. Would they treat me badly for it? Maybe not. Everyone there is so accepting… Still, I have so many questions. Hmm...

"I'd love to meet your moms. They sound really cool." She nods, sitting up and stretching.

"That'd be great. I know they'd love you." She gets up and grabs her shoes. I pout, watching her.

"You're leaving?" She gives me a funny look while tying her laces.

"You said you wanted to meet my moms, so let's go."

"Wait, now?" I stand up, looking at my clothes. Do I look okay? I want to make a good impression… I go over to my closet and look for a nicer shirt.

"Vega, you look fine." Jade chuckles, coming over to me as I pull on a white T-shirt and purple checkered flannel.

"I just want them to like me…" She puts a hand on my shoulder to calm me.

"Tori, they're gonna love you. Trust me." I nod and turn to see her holding her arms open. I smile, and hug her tight. She knows just how to help me feel better.

"Thanks…" I sigh and pull away, grabbing my shoes. Once they're on, I make sure I have my wallet and phone, and turn to Jade. "Okay, I'm ready." She takes my hand and we head downstairs, saying goodbye to my parents and Trina. Before we leave, Jade turns to me.

"Hey, bring the mutt. My stepmom loves dogs and he'll get spoiled like crazy over there." She chuckles. I grin and nod, calling Jack. I'm about to clip his leash on until I remember I took off his collar so I run back upstairs. Just before I grab his collar, I spot Maggie's and bite my lip. She'd want him to have it…and it looks a lot better than that ratty red one. I pick it up and go back downstairs.

"Here buddy…I want you to have this…" I clip the collar on him and adjust it. It looks good… My parents watch this and give each other a smile, knowing I must be healing if I'm giving Maggie's collar to Jack. Jack nuzzles me and lick my cheek. I giggle and wipe it away, kissing his nose. "Alright bud, let's go." I put his leash on and lead him out with Jade.

We all get into the car and head out to Jade's house. That's when it occurs to me that I've never been to Jade's house before. I always pictured her living in some spooky haunted house at the top of a hill. The thought makes me chuckle and Jade glances over at me, curious. I just wave it off and shrug. I'll tell her later. Today, she seems to be a much better driver. Maybe she was just trying to scare me like the first time she gave me a ride. Then again, she drove fairly well when we took Cat to Santa Monica, unless she was mad. Jack is moving around in the back and he finds where his ball rolled away from him last night. He lays down, chewing on it, and seems fairly content. I talk to Jade more about her moms and she tells me how nice they are. They have even been helping out her 'uncle', her stepmom's brother Mitch. He'd gotten in trouble with the law and hadn't been able to find work after getting out of jail so they let him stay in the pool house until he got back on his feet. They didn't tell Jade what he did, only saying he'd gotten mixed up with the wrong people, so she assumed it was something to do with drugs. Regardless, he seemed like a really nice guy, always helped out around the house when he could. Jade said he even gave her his old vintage record player. She loves anything old and fell in love with it.

I'm looking forward to meeting them all, wanting to get on the good side of her family even if we just stay friends. I'm still nervous and when it starts to show and I start rambling, Jade will take my hand and tell me to relax or take a deep breath. It just shows me that as kind and helpful Jade is, everyone, besides her father, must be really nice too. I just hope she's right about them liking me...

* * *

 **Just one final AN: I know this chapter was very dialogue heavy, but I really wanted to get more interaction between Tori and Jade. That being said, you guys will have a nice surprise waiting for you in the next Chapter that I know you'll like. No, it's not sexy-times. That's for a later chapter ;) (maybe haha)**


	7. As Sweet As Ice Cream

Chapter Six

As Sweet as Ice Cream

(Jade)

I can't believe I'm driving _Tori Vega_ to my house. I wouldn't have thought twice about this a week ago, but now I'm excited. I know she's gonna fall in love with my mom and Rachel, especially Rachel. She and Tori are too much alike and they'll get along perfectly. They like the same music, they have the same style, and they both love to dance. Fuck, they even have those adorable cheekbones… Maybe they're too similar. Mom might start thinking I had a crush on Rachel and that influenced my attraction to Tori, which is **not** true… Okay, maybe it is…but Tori has her own qualities that I love, like how she's selfless and caring, even if you don't deserve it.

She went out of her way to help me on multiple occasions, even if she wasn't going to get anything out of it. Not to mention what she went through to save the dog that is currently napping in my backseat. She went up against a grown man and walked away with nothing but some bruises and a cut up cheek. That's fucking hardcore. She's hardcore, not just because of her past, though that does factor in too.

She fought back against someone who was going to kill her in cold-blood and survived… Shot him dead. I know she's got a lot of trauma because of that, but I'm proud of her. She's held it together for this long and has never let her past show through, except with me. I never would have known she was dealing with something so heavy… She's always so bubbly and hyper, like a less intense Cat. Knowing she went through that really made me pissed at myself for being such a bitch to her.

I felt threatened by her when she first came to Hollywood Arts. I thought she was going to take my boyfriend away from me and I thought all my hard work to be the best was going to go to waste. She certainly surprised me though. She came back after being humiliated and I have to admit, even though I was raging pissed when she did it, when she kissed Beck, I was impressed. She stood up to me and even made out with my boyfriend right in front of me. She definitely earned some respect that day, and she earned my full respect the day I saw her turn down Beck's advances. She didn't want to hurt me…and despite how harsh I'd always been to her, she still saw me as a friend.

I'm a damn lucky person to know her, and I want to do everything I can to help her now, even if she does still tick me off sometimes. Like this morning. Even if she only did it by accident, she looked like she was genuinely going to pour that maple syrup on me. And then the milk… I shudder internally at the thought. That was just gross...ugh… Still, have to give her some props. She definitely had that 'give zero fucks' attitude.

I glance over at her and smirk. She's dancing along to the radio and it's pretty damn cute. Oh yeah, my moms are going to love her. It doesn't take too long to get to my house and as I'm pulling up the driveway, I notice she stops dancing and has that far away look in her eyes. I park next to Rachel's car and reach over, grabbing Tori's hand. She seems to come back to herself and she looks down at our hand before looking at me. I give her a reassuring smile.

"Hey, relax. Just be yourself." She nods, taking a deep breath, and smiles.

"Thanks." I squeeze her hand and get out, letting out the mutt.

"Let's go dog. Got a friend inside you might like." Tori takes his leash and I lead them both up the path to my place.

"Oh my God, Jade…" I look over at her and see her eyes are open wide and she's starting. ""This is a mansion…" I chuckle.

"It's not that big, Vega."

"How many square feet is it?" I think, trying to remember.

"7,000, I think?"

"That is huge…" I never saw it as that big. It's just...home. "If the house is this big, why does your uncle stay in the pool house?"

"He likes his privacy, and the pool house is pretty nice. Not as nice as my room though." I shrug, unlocking the door. I let them in and look around.

"Mom? Rachel? I'm home!" There's nothing at first, then I near a thumping coming from the other room. "Oh boy..." Suddenly, there is a massive blur running towards me and it tackles me to the floor. I grunt, sitting up and shoving my attacker off. "Damn it Gypsy…" With the 45 lb weight off my chest, I stand up and catch my breath. "Well Vega, meet Gypsy. This monster is Rachel's dog, a Siberian husky and a pain in my ass. Be careful, she's good for jumping on people and will knock you down."

"Jade!" I freeze, out of habit, and just accept what I know is coming. I'm immediately grabbed up in a hug and squeezed tight. "Welcome home honey!"

"Hi Ma… Can I breathe now?" Rachel giggles and lets go of me.

"Sorry sweetheart." I blush and clear my throat, turning back to Tori. Before I can say anything, Rachel is already all over her, hugging her too. "So you're Tori! Jade has told us so much about you!" I watch Tori hug her back, hesitantly.

"Hi Mrs. West…" Rachel laughs and gives her another squeeze.

"Just call me Rachel, honey." I sigh, shaking my head.

"Ma, you're gonna suffocate her." She releases Tori and smiles. Tori immediately moves to my side, and I can tell she's a bit overwhelmed by Rachel.

"Sorry, it's just so nice to finally meet another one of Jadey's friends. Especially one that she talks about non-stop." My face heats up and I cross my arms.

"Ma!" Rachel just laughs and pets Gypsy When she runs up to her.

"Hey baby girl, I know you're happy your Jadey's home now. She missed your morning run." Damn it, I forgot about Gypsy's run. "Don't, worry, I brought her out myself. I'm just glad I had the day off." I nod, glad as well. I don't like messing Gyp's schedule.

"Thanks." Rachel notices Tori's dog sitting by us and stoops down to get his attention.

"Who's this handsome fella?" Tori takes off his leash and lets him approach her.

"This is Jack, my new dog." Tori smiles. He seems pretty relaxed and I guess that makes her happy. Rachel pets him and it looks like she's in love with him already.

"He's just a big ole marshmallow, isn't he." I chuckle, nodding.

"Just stay on his good side. He nearly attacked my ex." Tori goes over to him and gives him a treat from her bag, probably for being well behaved.

"Well, Beck didn't know he was going to react the way he did." Tori explains. "He had an abusive owner that I saved him from just a couple days ago." Rachel looks up at Tori, angry to hear that, but her gaze softens almost immediately and she touches the side of Tori's face.

"Is that how you got this?" I watch Tori recoil slightly and touch her face, panic instantly taking over.

"Oh no! I forgot my makeup!" She grabs her bag and I'm at her side in an instant.

"Whoa Vega… It's okay. It's just makeup. You're fine." She looks at me and I can see tears in her eyes.

"B-but…" I shake my head and hug her tight.

"No buts… You're okay." I can feel her relax, which is good because my own heart's still racing… She pulls away and looks at me, still nervous it seems. I give her a smile and kiss her forehead. "This is a safe place. No judgement." Finally, I get a smile out of her and it makes me feel a million times better. I glance over at Rachel and see her practically brimming with excitement but I shake my head, wanting her to know that now is not the time. Don't want her scaring Tori off. I take one of Tori's hands, knowing that will help her stay calm too.

"Anyway, I brought Tori over to meet you and Mom." Rachel grins, looking over at Tori.

"Your mother is going be floored when she sees how gorgeous your little girlfriend is, JJ." I feel myself blush again for the umpteenth time today at her words and my other nickname.

" _Rachel…_ " I look at her seriously. I can't have her embarrassing me like this in front of Tori… "She's...my best friend, not my girlfriend." Rachel takes note of my tone and the fact that I called her Rachel, something I only do when I'm not in the mood to play around.

"Alright, alright. No more teasing. Let's go your mom. She should still be out by the pool." Tori, the dogs, and I follow Rachel through the house to the back.

"I'm your best friend?" I blush and glance at Tori.

"Well…we're friends, right? And we've gotten closer." The smile I get nearly takes my breath away and I have to think hard to walk straight. She nods and holds my hand tighter. I'm never going to hear the end of this one…

We go through the house and Tori's staring at everything in amazement. I just shake my head and smile. Is it really all that impressive? I never really thought about it before... I mean, it is bigger than her house, but there are much bigger places just in this neighborhood alone. I look over at the dogs and it would seem I was right about them getting along. Gypsy is all over him, probably wanting his ball, and he's seems pretty chill.

"Jazz, look who's here!" Rachel calls out once we've gotten outside. Relaxing by the poolside is my mom, reading a book. She looks our way and I wave to her.

"Hey Mom." She gets her book down and comes over, expertly dodging the dogs as they run past her to play.

"Hey there sweetheart. Who's your friend?" Rachel gives her an elbow nudge.

"Jazz, that's _Tori._ " Mom smiles big and comes up to us.

"Well, well, well. I've been wondering if we'd ever get to meet the girl my Jade speaks so fondly of."

"Mom... please." I groan. Not her too…

"I'm just teasing, dear." She chuckles. This woman is too much like me… "Now, what are you girls up to?"

"We were talking about things earlier and you and Rachel came into the conversation. Tori wanted to meet you so I brought her over." I shrug and grab Gypsy's soccer ball, kicking it around a little.

"I didn't realize she was going to bring me today. I meant someday." Tori laughs, pushing me a little bit. I chuckle and kick the ball towards the dogs.

"Hey, watch it Vega. I don't have any maple syrup, but I do have a perfectly good pool right there." She takes a step back, not sure if I'm kidding and my mom gives me a playful swat to the back of my head.

"Jadelyn, be nice."

"Fine." I pout. "I won't push her into the pool...yet."

"What was that?" Before I know it, I'm grabbed up and being carried over to the pool.

"W-wait! Don't throw me in!" I struggle to get down, panicking. "If you ruin my phone, you're buying me a new one!"

"Jasmine, wait!" Oh thank God for Rachel… She comes over to us, but instead of helping me out, she goes through my pockets and pulls out my phone, keys, and wallet. "Okay, proceed."

"Damn it! Rachel! I'm gonna-"

 **Sploosh!** I land right in the middle of the pool and sink to the bottom. Son of a bitch… The heat wasn't turned on and the water is freezing… I swim back up to the top, gasping for air once I'm out. I get the water out of my eyes and catch my breath, hearing multiple laughs. I get my eyes free of water and see Tori and Rachel practically hanging off each other, laughing hysterically. My mom is, lucky for her, several feet away and watching with a smirk.

"You okay there, honey?" I glare, shivering.

"One of you are so dead…" I scramble out of the pool and go straight for Rachel, who immediately takes off running. "Get back here! You tricked me so you're first!" Rachel giggles and keeps a decent distance between us.

"Sorry! Can't hear you!" She laughs and I start running out of breath. I slow down and double over, panting.

"You...are...so...g-getting it...later…" A towel is wrapped around me and I look up, seeing Tori standing there with a big grin.

"They got you kinda good Jade."

"You...wanna...be...next?" I glare, pulling the towel tightly around myself. She laughs and it only irks me more.

"Nah, I think I'll pass. Come on." She kisses my cheek, helping me up and leading me back over to Mom and Rachel. Rachel takes the towel and starts drying my hair and I just let her, too cold to bother.

"Oh sweetie, that **was** pretty funny." I glare at Rachel and suppress the urge to give her the finger. She keeps drying my hair until it's mostly dry and then re-wraps the towel around me. "There, go get some dry clothes and meet us back inside. We're going to get to know your friend." I glance back at Tori, seeing her distracted by petting Gypsy so I turn back to Rachel and whisper to her. I tell her to not overwhelm her with questions and to back off if she looks anxious. She agrees and as much as I don't want to, I leave and go to my room.

Now I have to take **another** shower to wash the chlorine out of my hair…

* * *

30 minutes later, I'm out the shower and looking for something nice to wear. I don't know if I want to go casual, or dress a little extra nice… After several long minutes, I decide to go with black skinny jeans and a grey tank top. Not too casual and not too flashy. The next thing I do is straighten up my room since I'm not sure if Tori will want to hang out down here. I never let anyone in here besides my moms and Cat so I've never really cared about it before, but I feel like Tori will be creeped out by some of my possessions. I chuckle at the thought and head up stairs when I'm done.

I hear voices coming from the kitchen so I know everyone must be in there. I get to the door but stop when I hear Tori's voice. She sounds...sad. I peek in just enough where I won't be caught and see them sitting at the table with sandwiches and drinks.

"-don't know anything about this… I've never been attracted to a woman before. I have all these feelings mixed up inside me and I don't know how to react to them most of the time. I just freeze up…"

"Tori, honey," Rachel places a hand on her shoulder. "These feelings are completely normal. Trust me, you're not the first person to go through this."

"I guess… It's just… I'm scared…"

"About what?" Tori shifts in her seat, looking down at her sandwich.

"I'm scared about being open about this…about me. What if my friends aren't supportive? What if they hate me for it?" I frown and march into the kitchen, looking at her.

"If anyone gives you shit for being who you are, I'll kick their fucking ass." Mom smacks my arm, frowning.

"Jade. Language, and no hitting your classmates." She pauses and then nods. "But good on you for standing up for your friend." Tori looks up at me, her eyes are glistening.

"But what if they treat you bad too?" I scoff, shaking my head.

"Please. Most everyone is terrified of me as it is. They won't want to get on my bad side." She sighs and looks down. "Tori… Hey, don't freak yourself out over this. You don't have to tell anyone anything. It's your business, not theirs." She rolls her eyes and looks back at me.

"And if we started going out?" I shrug.

"We wouldn't have to tell anyone. Not until you'd be comfortable enough." She's quiet for a moment, thinking it over.

"I guess that would be okay…" Rachel stands, putting her plate on the counter.

"Okay, enough of the heavy stuff for now. Jade, sit and I'll get you some lunch." I sit down next to Tori and a moment later, a sandwich and soda is placed in front of me.

"Thanks Ma." I eat and watch as Tori digs into her food too. I hope she's feeling better now. I didn't realize she was so freaked out about her sexuality… Am I really the first girl she likes that way?

"JJ!" I look up quickly and look at Rachel, startled and confused.

"Huh?!"

"I was asking you what you girls planned on doing today. Are you okay?" I nod, pushing my plate aside.

"Yeah, just thinking about something, nothing big." I sigh and lean back in my chair. "It's whatever she wants to do. I don't have any real plans for the day. Coming home was more spontaneous than anything." I chuckle. "I was just gonna bum around Tori's place until she got sick of me." Rachel takes mine and Tori's plates, washing them.

"Well, how about a movie? The one you ordered got here today." I jump up, excited.

"No way! I've been waiting all week for it!" I turn to Tori, excited. "Hey! Do you like horror movies?"

"Uh…"

"Great! Come on!" I grab her hand and pull her to the living room.

"O-okay."

On the coffee table is a small package which I pick up and tear open. Yes! The Scissoring Remastered! They only showed it in theaters for one weekend because kids were sneaking in and getting terrified by it and I never had a chance to see it. I've been avoiding spoilers like crazy and now I can finally watch it. I make Tori sit down on the couch and then pop the movie into my PlayStation before running back to the kitchen to get drinks and snacks. Mom and Rachel are putting away the dishes and I squeeze by them to get to the fridge. What snacks would be perfect to go with the movie? I eventually choose a bowl of popcorn, a couple sodas, and bowl of grapes.

Mom and Rachel each take something and we head into the living room. Tori is on her phone and the dogs are laying on the floor by the couch so I think everyone's here. I get comfortable next to Tori and my moms sit together on the loveseat. Once we're settled, I hit play and wait for the magic to begin.

* * *

I don't think Tori likes scary movies… She started toughing it out like a champ, but now she's half hiding behind me. I just chuckle and feel her pull the blanket I grabbed tighter around us. She's too cute. I guess that one of the differences she and Rach have. Rachel loves anything scary, like my mom and I, and it was one of the things that brought us closer.

"Tori, wanna come with me to get some ice cream for everyone?" Tori slides out from behind me and gets up.

"Yes!" I smirk and look over at Rachel, mouthing thank you. As cute as Tori was, I'd probably pay for it later if she had a bad dream. Tori follows Rach out and I take Tori's spot, leaning on the arm of the couch with the blanket on top of me.

I keep watching the movie and loving how they've enhanced each scene with the newer visuals. Really makes the bloody scenes look more realistic. I'm eating the last of the grapes when I hear a scream and crash that does not come from the movie. I'm off the couch immediately and running to the kitchen.

"What happened?!" I hear my mom running behind me but my focus is on Tori, who is currently cowering behind Rachel while my uncle Mitch is walking towards them, his hands out.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to scare you…" Mitch looks at her and then at us, eyes wide and panicking. I go over to them, avoiding the knocked over bowls of ice cream, and grab Tori, wrapping my arms around her.

"Hey, breath… Relax…" I rub he back and and feel her shaking. "Easy…You're safe…" I look at everyone else as they stare at me, mildly surprised by how I'm acting with her, but I just shake my head, not wanting to talk about it right now. I just tighten my hold and keep whispering to her. I overhear Mitch talking to my mom, explaining the situation.

"I didn't mean to… I just happened to turn the corner when she was coming out…" I know it was an accident, but I'm in Protect Tori Mode and it got me really angry. The only thing that calms me is the fact that she's calming down herself. Her breathing is slowing and the shaking is nearly gone. Good… I don't want a repeat of yesterday. I never want to see her that distressed, ever again… I pull away some and dry her eyes.

"Tor…" I whisper to her, cupping her cheek. "You okay now?" She gives me a nod, opening her eyes.

"I think so… Sorry…" I flick her nose slightly, smiling.

"Hey, what did I say yesterday? Don't apologize for this. Not your fault, remember?' I get a smile out of her and another nod.

"Yeah, I remember, but you're not the boss of me." I laugh, shoving her playfully.

"There's my feisty Vega." She laughs too but stops when she looks at my moms and blushes when she remembers they're there.

"I'm...sorry for the mess…" Rachel waves it off, tossing out a wad of paper towels.

"Don't worry about it, Hon. Accidents happen all the time." She washes her hands before coming back over, practically dragging Mitch. "Now that everything is okay, introductions are in order. Tori, this is my brother, Mitchell. Mitch, this is JJ's girlfriend, Tori." I roll my eyes, blushing.

"Not my girlfriend." Rachel just gives me a stupid grin and I scowl. Tori walks up to Mitch, obviously hesitant, but does hold out her hand.

"Nice to meet you sir… I'm sorry about before." Mitch shakes her hand, shrugging.

"It was just an accident. I have a feeling if I'd scared you on purpose, Rachel would have kicked my ass by now." He grins and receives a smack behind the head from said woman.

"Be nice, Mitch." He just laughs and dodges another smack. The interaction is normal for me but it seems to amuse Tori as she starts giggling. She is tooth achingly sweet.

"Something funny about my family, Vega?" I smirk. She grins back, crossing her arms.

"You mean other than the fact that they all seem so normal?" Gotta give her that. Compared to me, everyone else seems like they're from an old sitcom.

"Fair enough." I chuckle, shaking my head. "Alright, alright. Now that that's out of the way, can we go finish the movie? It's almost over." I get a pout from Tori.

"Do we have to? It's so…gruesome…" I sigh.

"How about this, we finish the movie and then you can pick the next one. I even have some Disney movies that I keep aside for Cat when she comes over." Her eyes light up and it almost makes me wish I'd let her pick sooner.

"Really?!" I nod, unable to keep from smiling.

"Yes, really. Come on." I take her hand and she grips mine tight, though I have a feeling it's not because she's scared, her smile gives her away, but it's okay. She's happy, and I get to keep watching my movie. Definitely a win in my book.

* * *

 **Hello lovelies! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I thought we would take a little peek into the mind of Jade this time around. Now, I want to keep the POV mostly on Tori, but there's no harm in switching it around sometimes, right? ;) Thank you for reading and look forward to more soon! -Mercy Vale**


	8. Dinner and a Show

Chapter Seven

Dinner and a Show

( _Tori_ )

 _Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God…_ Why did I let Jade talk me back into this?... This movie is beyond graphic. How does she watch stuff like this all the time?! I jump and turn away, pressing my face into her shoulder. There's just 15 more minutes… 15 more minutes and I get to put my movie in…

I peek back up when the screams stop and see the killer is now being taken down. Yes! Take her out and end the nightmare! I start watching more, genuinely interested now because the people who have been tormented by the killer are finally getting their revenge. The people keep fighting back, though the killer manages to take down more of them. If they can just get their plan to work… Alright! They've got her right where they want her now and they're pushing her towards the trap. There's only two of them left now, but the killer is trapped in the burning house with no chance of escaping. They did it! They got her! Now they get to just drive away and forget about the whole experience. Well, they did lose 6 of their friends throughout the whole ordeal…

Wait… They can't stop the car...the brakes are cut?! The car goes off cliff with the killer watching from a distance as smoke comes off her burned clothes. She smiles and the credits roll. I stare at the TV, incredulous.

"Wait! That's how it ends?!" I jump up off the couch. "That's not fair! They were gonna get away! What a bitch!" I turn to Jade because she has to be feeling the same way but instead, I find her with her face buried in the throw pillows, laughing hysterically. "What?! What's so funny?!" She looks up at me, still giggling and looking flushed.

"You said bitch." She starts laughing again and I blush, glancing at her parents. I expect them to be upset with my language, but they seem to be laughing too, which causes me to blush harder. Jade finally calms herself as I pout at her, mad that she's not feeling slighted by the movie like I was.

"Come on, you're not mad about that ending?" She grins, shaking her head.

"Not really. That's usually the tone for the Scissoring movies. There's no happy ending here, except for the killer."

"Well, I still think it's unfair." I sit back down with a huff, still pouting.

"You _did_ seem to really get into it near the end though. Maybe we should watch more horror movies."

"No!" I glare at her. Jade just chuckles and stands up, taking out the movie and replacing it with the one I picked, The Little Mermaid.

"Fine, one movie with a happy ending coming right up. That better?" Oh thank God...

"Yes…" She sits back down and pulls my to lean against her before putting the blanket back over us. I get comfortable and let the world of Disney take me away.

The movie starts and as we watch it, I hum quietly along with the songs. I always loved this movie. Cat and I must have watched it a 6 times in a row the last time she slept over. I know this whole movie by heart now and even when something intense happens, I'm still nice and relaxed. Being nice and warm against Jade works wonders for that as well and it's not until halfway through the movie that I start to fall asleep. I feel something move under me and start to wake back up until something soft is under my head. That's nice… I yawn and pull the blanket up, letting sleep take me under.

 _I open my eyes and see no one here anymore. I sit up and look around, confused. Even Jade is gone… I call her name but receive no response. Where did she go? I stand and walk around, looking for her. She must be around here somewhere… I go through a doorway and find myself in the living room back home. Wait… When did I get home? I call for Jade again but still get nothing. This is starting to get a little creepy… I start to go into the kitchen but feel myself get grabbed from behind and a hand cover my mouth before I can scream._

' _Don't go in there…' The voice is muffled and I struggle against the restraining arms, wanting to break free. I finally manage to pull away and I run into the kitchen. What the hell was that?... It sounded like Jade but… hoarse… Whatever that was, I'm glad I got away. I just need to get outside and I'll be safe. I grab the doorknob and again, I'm grabbed from behind._

 _'Get back here…' That's not the same voice from before. I_ know _that voice… I turn around and see_ _ **him**_ _standing there, knife in hand. My back's against the door as I plead with him not to hurt me, but it falls on deaf ears as he grabs me and shakes me. The shaking starts getting more and more intense and he starts fading away…_

My eyes fly open and I sit up quickly, gasping. I look around the dark room until my eyes fall on who i think is Jade,kneeling in front of me. I move and wrap my arms around her, scared but happy that it was just a bad dream. Her arms wrap around me and she rubs my back, helping to calm me. That wasn't nearly as bad as it's been lately, but it was still intense… Just gotta relax. I control my breathing until I'm sure I'll be okay and then I pull out of the hug, rubbing my eyes.

"Thank you… I just...really needed that…" The couch shifts and there's a hand on my back.

"It's no problem sweetie. I'm here to help." I pull away in shock. That's not Jade's voice. My gaze falls on Jade's mother and I start blushing.

"O-oh! I'm so sorry! I thought you were Jade!" She laughs, patting my back.

"She looks like a younger version of me so I'm going to take that as a compliment." I look over to the side of the couch and see my bag, immediately grabbing my glasses from it. It's dark in here and I didn't have these on. Never put my contacts in either.

"Sorry again. I uh…had a bad dream…"

"I could tell. You seemed upset so I woke you up. Would you like to talk about it? It always helped Jade when she had bad dreams." I look down at my hands, a habit that I have when I'm uncomfortable.

"It's hard to talk about…" It was okay with Jade, but even then, I still had trouble. I take a deep breath. "It's also a long story…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Hon." I nod, preparing myself. I opened up with Jade before. I can do this.

"You poor thing… I'm so sorry you had to go through that…" Jasmine rubs my back and dabs at her eyes with a tissue. I dry my own eyes, nodding. I'm upset and unnerved by the story, but not to the point I was yesterday. I guess talking about it over and over again really does help… "I thought your name sounded familiar…"

"What do you mean?"

"One of my colleagues was the prosecutor in your court case." Oh yeah… I'd forgotten about that… "He didn't want to take the case but no one else would touch it." She stops, shaking her head in anger. "To think, a wife trying to sue you for defending yourself against her husband. That woman was a monster like him."

"The judge threw the case out, but I still had to go and meet her face to face. It wasn't pleasant…"

"Does Jadelyn know what you went through? I can only assume so, by the way she looks after you." I blush, nodding.

"Jade only just found out yesterday, and until then, no one but my family knew. She doesn't know about the woman though. I don't like to think about it too much, but sometimes I get these vivid dreams that drag me right back."

"PTSD is difficult burden to carry and the only one who can overcome it, is you. You've been trying so hard to push it back and maybe that's why you're having such intense nightmares." She does make a good point… I've tried bottling this up for months… "I think the best thing for you is to face your fears. _How_ you do that though, comes down to the strength of your will. You have to want to get better."

"I _do_ want to…it just feels impossible."

"Rome wasn't built in a day, and you won't get through this instantly. It will take time." She wraps her arms around me again. "But you are a strong young woman. You can work through this." I return the hug, feeling comforted by her.

"Jade definitely got her kindness from you, Mrs. West." She sighs and pats my hair.

"I'll take a guess and say you've already met my ex-husband. He can be rather abrasive." She's got that right… "I'm just happy my little girl was able to pull herself out of that depression he pushed her in…"

"What do you mean? Jade said you were the one who had taken the divorce badly." She gives me a confused look that turns to understanding.

"No dear, _I_ was the one who chose to end the marriage, not him, and he took it out on the only person he could."

"Jade…" So when she was telling me about her mother, she was really talking about herself?Why didn't she just tell me? Is she ashamed to admit it?

"Her father was against her staying with me, because of my life choices, so until she was old enough to decide herself, we had a joint custody. Allowing it to happen was the worst mistake I ever made." Jasmine grabs another tissue, drying her eyes. "He made it clear to her that he would have nothing to do with her if she was anything like me."

"Lot of good those talks did. As hard as he tried, he still got a lesbo daughter." I turn around and am greeted by Jade, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and drying her hands and damp forehead with a small towel. "Now, if you ladies are finished chatting about me, dinner's ready." I raise my eyebrows, standing with her mom. Jade cooked? She leads us to the kitchen where Rachel is setting plates down on the table. The dogs are sitting by the wall, eating food of their own.

On the table, there are five plates of lasagna, bowls of salad, and breadsticks.

"Wow… Everything looks amazing…" I look in awe as Jasmine and Rachel sit down. I sit as well and Mitch comes in, pulling up a chair on the other side of me. I really should apologize again… He seemed so worried when he scared me. Rachel gives me a nudge, grinning.

"JJ doesn't cook often, so when she does, it's a special occasion. She really went all out tonight though. She wouldn't even let me help her with the-"

"Ahem." Jade comes over and sits next to me, glaring at Rachel. "Remember what I said Rach. Don't spoil anything."

"Oh boo. You're no fun." She sticks out her tongue at Jade who just shakes her head and starts to eat. I follow soon after and take my first bite. It's very hot, but soon I get a grasp on all of the flavors. It tastes so good! This is some of the best lasagna I've ever had!

"Jade, this is delicious!" She smiles, blushing, and continues to eat. I return to my food as well and nearly have to restrain myself from scarfing it down.

By the end of the meal, I'm full and content. I love anything that is pasta based, but that was the most amazing meal I've ever had. Mitch is leaned back in his chair, sighing, and Rachel is leaning against Jasmine, complaining about how full she is.

"JJ…Why do you have to make such good food…?" Jade just laughs, gathering the plates and bowls.

"No one told you to have a second helping." Rachel pouts and Jasmine gets up to help Jade. I start to stand but Jade lightly pushes me back down. "Nope, you stay there." I guess she's got a 'guests don't help' rule. Jade and her mother clear the table quickly and while Jasmine is washing the dishes, Jade goes over to the fridge and pulls out a tray. She sets a small bowl in front of each of our seats at the table. She made chocolate mousse too?

"You must really like cooking, huh?" I grin and Jade blushes again, setting the tray on the countertop.

"It's something my grandma and I did together. When she passed away, I decided to keep cooking, for her." She sits back down and so does Jasmine. "Try the mousse. I know how much you love chocolate stuff and it's light so it won't make you feel more full. Can't say the same for Rachel." She smirks and eats. Rachel pinches Jade's cheek, smirking too. "Hey! Ow!"

"Hmm, you've been extra snooty to me today. Maybe we should reintroduce you to the pool." Jade's eyes go wide and she puts her hands up defensively.

"Okay, okay! I'll be nice!" I giggle, watching them.

"Thank you." Rachel lets go of her and they all start talking and laughing. I really like Jade's family. They're so fun loving and light-hearted, which seems the opposite of Jade, but she takes on a whole different demeanor when they interact.

Even Mitch is really nice. We had a nice conversation about dogs since he recently got a new job, caring for someone's dogs. He said his boss pays very well and all he has to do is walk them and feed them in the afternoons. Jade said how hard it was for him to find a job after his problems with the police, so I'm happy for him. While he's telling about this new trick he taught Gypsy, he gets a phone call and excuses himself. Rachel lets the dogs outside to play before wrapping up the leftovers, and against Jade's wishes, I help her collect and wash the dishes, wanting to make myself at least a little useful.

"You really didn't have to, you know." She passes me a clean bowl and I dry it, setting it aside. I just shrug, smiling.

"You cooked so much good food. This is the only way I could think of to thank you."

"Well…I have better way you could thank me."

"What is it?"

"You could tell me what you thought of our first date." I nearly drop a bowl and I stare at her, blushing hard.

"Th-this was our date?" She chuckles, blushing, and nods.

"Yes. I know you Tor, better than you think. Dance clubs and fancy restaurants are nice, but you appreciate the personal part of a date and actually spending time with the other person. So, I figured the best place I could bring you is here." She shuts off the water and drys her hands. "I knew dinner was going to be easy the moment you said you loved pasta. No one has ever complained about my lasagna." I grin, nodding.

"It _was_ amazing. Best meal I've ever had on a date." I blush again at what I just said but keep my confidence. "Honestly, best _date_ I've ever had. I had a great time today, even including being terrified by that movie."

"Really? Next time, you can have first pick for the movie." I smirk, crossing my arms.

"Next time?" She realizes what she said and blushes more.

"I uh...want to give you plenty of time to think it over before I ask you to be my girlfriend… I don't want you to feel rushed into answering." She rubs the back of her neck nervously and it's really cute. She's really cute… I know what I want, and I know what she wants. I've had boyfriends before but none of them made me feel the way Jade makes me feels. I take a breath and step towards her, trying to channel her...Jade-ness.

"What if _I'm_ not patient enough to wait?" She looks at me and before she can say anything, my hands go on both sides of her face and I pull her in for a kiss. I feel her lean into it and place her hands on my hips while I move my hands from her face and rest my arms on her shoulders. This feels so good, so natural. I could definitely kiss Jade all day… Sadly, we stop the second Rachel grabs us both in a hug.

"You two are so cute! Awe, Jazz look! Jadey's got a girlfriend!

"Babe, she's going to hurt you again. You might want to let them go." Jasmine laughs and comes over to pry her off.

"But I'm so happy for her!" I feel Jade tense up more and see her scowling now.

"Rachel. If you don't let go of us, I am never making you my cinnamon rolls ever again." We're immediately released and Rachel is about 5 feet away from us now. "Thank you." Jade sighs, shaking her head, and takes my hand. I guess her cinnamon rolls are just that good and not worth losing. I just grin and squeeze her hand, the reality of this fully sinking in. We're girlfriends… Even without either of us openly saying it yet, it just feels right. Jade sighs and looks at me, smiling.

"Come on, I should probably get you home before your parents get mad. My mom called your dad so he knew you were staying for dinner, but I don't want to push my luck." I chuckle. I doubt my dad would be upset, but it's cute how much she cares.

"Alright, let me get my bag and my shoes." She nods and gives me a quick kiss before running down to her room to get her own shoes on. Mitch comes back in, saying something about having a guest over to Rachel and Jasmine, and I head into the living room to get my bag.

I had a pretty damn good day. I got to hang out with Jade and get to know the better side of her family, and after an amazing date, even though I didn't know it was one, I have a girlfriend now. Holy crap, I have a girlfriend… Not just that, _Jade_ is my girlfriend… I don't know how we'd explain that to our friends. I know she said I didn't have to say anything if I didn't want to, but I don't want to hide _us_. We should talk about that tomorrow… I get everything I need and head to the main hall to grab Jack's leash. Because I'm still thinking about how to explain our relationship to our friends, I'm not paying attention to what's in front of me, so I'm startled when I walk into someone and fall back on my butt. Ow… I wince and rub my stinging backside.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I look up, confused, and my eyes widen. It's the guy who was abusing Jack...

"No fucking way." I start to get up to run, but I'm grabbed by the front of my shirt and shoved against a wall. I know I should be calling for someone, but I'm too stunned to even scream.

"I found you… Where the FUCK is my dog, you little thief?" I try to pry his fingers off my shirt, to no avail. I shake off to stunned feeling and start kicking out my legs.

"He's not your dog anymore! You abandoned him!" He backhands me across the face and feel my lip split from a ring.

"Unless you want another one, you're going to tell me where my fucking dog is."

"Gavin! What are you doing man? That's my niece's girlfriend." Mitch comes running over and struggles with him to let me go which he eventually does. I hide behind Mitch, watching the guy fearfully and digging through my bag for my cell phone.

"This is the bitch that stole my dog, Mitch." Mitch looks at me, shocked.

"She stole your dog?"

"I didn't still his dog! He was mistreating him. I confronted him about it and he attacked me." I take a step back, holding my phone. "The dog protected me and that guy ran when Jack starting going after him." Mitch looks back at Gavin, moving in front of me.

"I think you should leave. You're not getting her dog."

"I'm not leaving without it. So you're going to bring me the dog." I call my dad's number, taking another step back. Gavin snaps his head at me when he notices me moving and shoves Mitch to the side. I turn to run but he's still faster than me, grabbing my arm. My phone falls and he twists my arm behind my back. "You little bitch. I want my dog. NOW." I cry out and my knees buckle, causing me to drop to the floor.

"Hey!" Mitch runs over to us but before he can do anything, Gavin is knocked away from me. Rachel helps me to sit up and I hold my arm, turning to see Jade on top of Gavin and punching him repeatedly in the face.

"Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend!" Jade hits him over and over in anger and I get up to stop her from going to far. I grab her and she turns to look at me. Gavin takes the opportunity to grab and punch her. She groans and Mitch is on his back, doing what he can to pull him off with Jasmine's help.

"You fucking bitch!" Gavin struggles to hit her again with them holding him back and Jade reaches into her boot, pulling out a pair of scissors. She holds them towards him, threateningly, and practically growls.

"Touch me again! I fucking dare you! I'll have you wishing you were dead!" I pick my phone up off the floor and hear my dad yelling. He must have heard everything… I explain the situation and give him the address, hearing his car start on his side of the call. Rachel keeps an arm around me and I just stare at Gavin as he trying to get away. Jasmine and Mitch keep him down on the ground until my father arrives and Jade stays in front of him, watching like a hawk with scissors in hand still. Rachel hasn't let me go and I haven't bothered trying to move as the situation catches up to me.

I'm scared, but the fear is starting to ease up. They all protected me… Jade...her parents…her uncle… They kept me safe from Gavin. Even now, as he stares at me with unrelenting anger, he can't do anything about it. I didn't even realize I was crying until Rachel brushed a tissue across my face. There's a loud banging at the door and Rachel looks at me to make sure I'm okay to be left alone. I nod and take a couple steps back, watching her.

She opens the door and several police officers come in, grabbing Gavin. He starts struggling more once he sees them and knocks down Jasmine and Mitch. He runs towards Jade and she takes a step back but a stun gun stops him in his tracks. Everyone's shouting. Gavin, Jade, her moms, Mitch and the cops. There's too much yelling and banging as they get him cuffed that it makes me more unnerved and I can't stay in there. I slip away into the living room and just sit on the couch, trying to gather my thoughts.

How the hell did I run into him again? Mitch knew him… Wait… Earlier, Mitch said his boss was coming over, the guy who hired him to take care of his dogs… THAT'S _HIM_?! I hear a door slam shut and more yelling before I suddenly grabbed up.

"God damn it Vega… Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Jade checks me all over, finding only my bruised lip, which doesn't make her happy. "That fucking bastard…" She wraps her arms around me tight and I feel her shaking more than I am. "I saw him holding you and everything just went red…" I hug her back tight and press my face into her shoulder.

"Thank you…" Who knows what he would have done if Jade hadn't stopped him…Mitch too. "Your uncle tried to stop him too. All of you saved me…"

"Mitch explained everything. That's the fucker that hurt your dog…" Jack… I pull away suddenly and run out of the living room.

"Jack!" I top the back door open and run out into the yard. "Jack!" He's in the back playing with Gypsy, completely oblivious to what happened inside, and runs to me when I call him. I fall to my knees and hug the hell out of him. He's safe too…thank God…

Everyone comes outside, including my father who arrived a moment ago, and Jade kneels beside us, petting him and keeping a hand on my shoulder. There's another hand on my shoulder and I look up at my dad.

"Tori…" I'm pulled into another hug. "I'm so glad you're okay…"

"She's safe here Mr. Vega. We'll never let anything happen to her." Dad let's go of me and immediately hugs Jade, who's caught off guard by the embrace. "Uh….Sir?"

"Thank you for looking out for her Jade…" Jade looks nervous as he hugs her and reluctantly returns it.

"I promised I'd keep her safe…" Dad lets her go and sighs, rubbing his face.

"God damn it…" He turns to me, gesturing for me to follow him. "Come on Tori, let's go home." He starts walking, thanking Jade's parents and uncle as he passes them. I start to follow but feel myself get pulled back by a hand on my arm.

"Don't go…" I turn to tell Jade that I have to when I realize she's crying. I take a step towards her, wanting to comfort her.

"Jade…" She grabs me in another hug and cries into my shoulder.

"Please don't go Tori… just stay, for the night. Please? I-I can't keep you safe if you're not here…" I look over my shoulder to my dad who's waiting for me and give him a pleading look. He seems to think it over, but nods. I let out a sigh of relief and hug Jade back.

"I'll stay… I'll stay…" Jade relaxes and sniffles.

"Thank you…" I rub her back and pull away.

"Let's go inside… It's getting cold out here."

I take her hand and she lets me lead her into the house. Jasmine calls us into the kitchen where she's preparing hot chocolate and coffee. After the first cup of coffee, Jade is much more relaxed but she looks paler than usual. I hold her hand and after some silence, Mitch finally speaks.

"Hey… I just want to apologize for what happened. I had no idea what kind of guy Gavin was… He seemed really genuine about wanting to hire me and never came off as a bad guy."

"He's a fucking prick, that's what he is." I squeeze her hand to help her relax and she takes a deep breath before sipping her coffee.

"You had no idea who he was… It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry you're out of a job now…" He waves it off.

"I have a feeling working for that guy would have just landed me back in jail. I'll find something else, don't worry. Just glad you girls are okay. That was a hell of a tackle JJ." Jade smirks at that and looks more like her regular self.

"That did feel pretty good. I just wish that asshole hadn't socked me. Could've gotten a few more hits in." I brush the darkening purple ring under her eye and huff, frowning. I can't believe he actually hit her.

"He made a big mistake there." I look down at my hot cocoa and sigh. "I'm really sorry, everyone… I never intended to bring any of my personal problems here. I thought it was just going to be a fun day with Jade and her family." Rachel sits next to me, rubbing my back.

"It's not your fault Tori. None of this is. You can't blame yourself for the choices other people make. People just fucking suck sometimes." Jade nearly chokes on her coffee and looks at Rachel in shock.

"Whoa, you never swear, Ma." She chuckles, shaking her head. "Rach is sweating, Tori's my girlfriend, and I just beat the crap out of some guy. I must be fucking dreaming." Rachel reaches over and flicks her ear.

"Hey, no swearing."

"But you just swore!" Jade pouts, setting down her cup and crossing her arms. "I'm injured and you're being mean to me."

"Oh shush." Rachel grins, standing and setting her mug in the sink. "You have a black eye. You'll live."

"Nope. You're mean and I'm going to bed." Jade stands and places hers in the sink as well. She starts to walk away, stops, then turns around and hugs both of her moms. "I… I love you guys…" They both look surprised by the embrace and her words and return the hug before she can pull away. Jasmine kisses her forehead and strokes her hair.

"We love you too Jade…" Jade pulls away, blushing, and motions for me to follow her.

"Come on, I'll show you to my room. Your mutt can sleep in the living room with Gypsy." I finish my cocoa and follow her after saying goodnight to Rachel, Jasmine, and Mitch. Jade holds my hand and she takes me to a door that leads downstairs. I smirk and go down after her. She would have her bedroom in the basement. It's dark and secluded, the way she likes it. Jade flicks on a light and I look around. Wow… It's very spacious down here and the style and decor is exactly what I'd expected. She goes over to her closet and I walk around the room. She has posters everywhere of movies and rock bands, and strange little statues and knick knacks placed all around. I come across a jar with something floating around inside that looks kinda gross.

"Hey Jade, what's this?" She comes over, holding some clothes.

"Oh, that's my appendix." I take a half step back, eyes wide.

"Ew…" As grossed out as I am, I'm still curious, and I lean towards it again, tapping the jar. "You're so weird." I chuckle and she lightly smacks my arm with a shirt.

"There is nothing wrong with being weird. Besides, it's not weird if they give you the option of taking it home." I giggle and push her arm playfully.

"It's definitely still weird." She rolls her eyes and hands me the clothes.

"Here. They're not duck pajamas, but they're comfortable." I chuckles, taking the clothes. "The shirt will just be a little big on you, that's all."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She smiles and kisses my cheek, going into her closet once more and shutting the door. I change into the clothes, folding my other ones and putting them in my bag. Jade comes out after a few minutes and climbs into bed with me following right after. She turns the lights off and pulls me to her.

"After today, I just want to sleep and cuddle with my girlfriend." I blush, snuggling closer.

"That sounds like a good plan to me. We can talk more tomorrow, right?"

"Of course." She kisses me softly and rests her chin on my shoulder. "Night Tori."

"Night Jade…" I smile, closing my eyes, and fall asleep, feeling safer than I have in a long time. With Jade by my side, I don't have to be afraid of anything. She'll protect me...

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 **Here's another chapter for you guys! I know you have been waiting for this scene and I know it feels a little rushed, but I promise I know what I'm doing. (I think) Anyways, enjoy and please look forward to the next chapter! Also, I'm working on a special something coming (kinda) soon! -Mercy Vale**

 **P.S: It has been a steady 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit all week. I am so cold D:**


	9. Sharp Conversations

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry about how long this chapter took to post. I'm dealing with some really heavy stuff IRL and it's just been taking it's toll on me mentally. I don't want to go into details about it, so just know that it's a high intensity situation that I have no control in. I'm going to just focus on writing and hope that it. helps me feel better. I really hope the chapter can make up for that. Please enjoy chapter 8. Working on Chapter 9 right now.**

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Chapter Eight

Sharp Conversations

I stretch and yawn, sitting up only a little as there's a pair of arms holding me by the waist and keeping the rest of me from moving. I smile and run my fingers through Jade's dark hair as she sleeps. This is the second time I woke up before her. I guess she's not a morning person. I get comfortable again and just watch her sleep. She's got a faint smile and seems more relaxed than yesterday, which is very good. Maybe she wasn't having a good dream yesterday… It's not easy to scare Jade so I can only imagine what it was about. Unless…

Her mom told me about what her father put her through. How can a man threaten to shun his own daughter if she isn't straight? It's not right… Even though we haven't talked about it, yet, I know my dad would be okay with me liking girls. Even more so, if his little outburst at breakfast yesterday was genuine. So how can her father be so against it? Is he going to be mad that she and I are dating? Will he confront her about it? The last time we met, she was tense and he was indifferent, and we were just friends at the time, in a one-sided kind of way.

I don't want to cause problems in her family… I know she said she'd take care of anyone at school who bothered me, but this is different. This is her family and I don't want to create a bigger issue than there already is. But on the other hand, I don't want to lose what Jade and I have. We're closer than I'd ever imagined we'd be, and even though I'm new to this, I want to see where our relationship goes. I don't want to believe that I feel this strongly towards Jade just because she's my first girlfriend, and I don't want her to think that either.

Maybe we should do something fun today. I'll need to think of something I know she'd love. She pulled off an awesome surprise date, so maybe I can do the same thing. I may need to ask one of her moms about what she likes, aside from the things I already know. Can't ask Jade, it would be too obvious and she'd suspect something. Plus, I don't want to end up picking something that she hates.

I sigh and pull the blankets more, snuggling closer to her. Oh well, it's too early to worry about it. Right now, I just want to stay here with Jade where it's warm and cozy. I smile and rest my head under her chin, feeling her hold on me tighten just slightly. I've never cuddled with someone like this up until yesterday, but I really like it. I feel safe and cared for, and I honestly wouldn't complain if we could stay like this all day…

It doesn't take me long to fall back asleep and about 2 hours later, I wake up and sigh at the feeling of something press against my forehead and look up some, rubbing my eyes. Jade's awake, kissing my forehead and running her fingers through my hair. I smile, blushing, and lift my head to peck her lips.

"Morning…" She smiles back, giving me another kiss in return.

"Morning Tor." She still has that 'just woke up' huskiness in her voice. "Did you sleep okay? I know your bed's a little more firm than mine."

"I slept great. Your bed is pretty comfy." I chuckle and move some, not wanting to get up just yet but face Jade more comfortably. "What about you?"

"Definitely the best night's sleep I've had in a long time." She grins, pulling me against her. I bring a hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing it with my thumb and smile when she leans her face into it. "What are you doing to me Vega. You're making me soft." She chuckles, nuzzling my hand.

"Puh-lease," I smirk. "The Jade I got to know yesterday is probably the biggest softy I've even met. I bet our friends would go nuts to find out you can cook and know all the songs to the Little Mermaid."

"Hey, that's only because Cat makes me watch those movies with her, and you better not tell anyone about the cooking." She gives me a small glare but I can tell that it's nothing compared to a real Jade glare. I get bold and sit up, grinning.

"What are you going to do about it?" She immediately lets go of me and right when I think I've actually made her mad, she starts tickling me. "Hey!" Too late. I'm a mess of laughter and tears as I struggle to get away. "St-stop! No f-fair!" I am ticklish everywhere and she is merciless.

"Say you won't tell them!" She digs her fingers into my ribs and I can hardly breathe from laughing so much. "Say it!"

"Okay! O-okay! I w-won't t-tell them!" She finally stops and I'm able to catch my breath, glaring up at her the whole time.

"Now I know what to do in the future. Thanks for that Vega." Jade gives me a cocky smirk and winks at me. As soon as she lets her guard down, I quickly sit up and grab her sides, flipping us so I'm on top. I start tickling her back and she lets out a squeal. "Vega! When I get my hands on you, you're done for!" I grin, tickling more vigorously.

"Karma's a bitch. Right, Babe?" I realize what I said and I stop for a second, blushing. "Uh..wh-what I meant was-" Before I can say anything else, I'm grabbed by the front of my shirt and pulled down, my lips connecting with Jade's. My eyes close and one of my hands snake behind her neck while the other moves to her shoulder..

This is the most heated it's gotten yet and I find my fingers tangling themselves in her hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Jade's hands move to my back and I her nails scratch lightly through my shirt, sending shivers down my spine. I let out a soft moan and break the kiss, blushing beet red. Jade looks up at me, smiling but not laughing at me. Instead, she takes a hand off my back and tucks a bit of hair behind my ear before cupping my cheek.

"You're too cute, Vega…" I lean into her touch and sigh, loving how warm her hand is. I turn my head to kiss her hand and I notice her star tattoo. I move to touch it and she flinches just slightly.

"Hey… You okay?" She nods, losing the panicked look after a moment.

"Yea… It's just, no one has ever touched that tattoo except for Beck. It was the only thing I got that didn't upset my mom." Jade sighs, looking at her wrist. "She knew I got it for a good reason…" She lets me touch it and just in the center of the star, I feel a raised line in her skin. I immediately look at Jade when I realized exactly what it is.

"Jade…" She looks away, her eyes starting to glisten a bit, and it tugs at my heart.

"Don't worry about it Vega… Haven't thought about killing myself in years. That's all in the past now." She's trying to make light of it but I can see the truth, her eyes say it all... She starts to pull her arm away but I grab it, gently and slowly pressing my lips to the scar. "Tori…What are you-"

"Please...Don't be ashamed of this… You can be open with me too…" Jade looks at me with a worried expression, shaking her head.

"I'm not ready…"

"I'm not going anywhere… I'll be here when you are ready." That makes her smile, which make me feel better, and she cups my cheek again.

"Thank you…" She keeps her hand there, rubbing my cheek slowly before moving as if she wants to get up. I move off of her to sit up too, stretching. "I need some breakfast…and so much coffee..." She yawns, getting out of bed and heading for the stairs. She's avoiding it as much as possible, but just like she been there for me, I'll be there for her… I quickly follow her upstairs and we're greeted at the top of the steps by Gypsy and Jack.

"Morning, Bud!" I grin and scratch his ears as he moves around me, giving small excited barks. He seems really full of energy today. Jade seems to have her hands full with Gypsy as she tries her hardest to jump on her and give her kisses.

"Damn it, Gypsy! I know, I know. You're excited, but geez, let me get some breakfast first. Go outside." Gypsy finally calms down enough to stop jumping and she runs through the house, heading for the doggie door. I chuckle and give Jack a nudge so he can go play too. "Fucking hell, that dog has been all over me since she and Rachel moved in. I don't even know why, she just likes me."

"What's not to like?" I grin and receive an eye roll in return. She shakes her head and takes my hand.

"Come on, you dork." I chuckle and let her lead me to the kitchen. Rachel is sitting at the table with a laptop, sipping a cup of coffee, and she waves at us before returning to her typing. My hand is released and she ties her hair back, going to the fridge and taking out a bunch of things. I lean against the counter and watch Jade move around for a few minutes, wanting to help.

"Hey, need a hand?" She glances over at me and shrugs before returning to beating some eggs.

"Sure, that'd be great. Could you cut up those vegetables for the omelets?" She points to a cutting board that has an onion, a tomato, a jalapeno, and some leafy green herbs of some sort on it. I nod and take a knife from the block on the counter.

"Yeah, I can do that." I start cutting the tomato first, having only a little trouble with it because it rolls around, but I manage to finally get it cut into small pieces. I do the jalapeno first and have a much easier time with it. The onion is not easy at all half way through cutting it, I'm fighting to see through the tears and it's taking everything I have not to wipe my eyes with my hands.

"Whoa!" My hand that's holding the knife is grabbed and I let go of it immediately, panicking.

"What?!"

"You nearly cut yourself Tori. Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see?" I'm lead to the sink and Jade sticks my hands under the warm water. "Wash your hands." She puts soap in my hands and I scrub them while she dries my eyes. "There, better." I finish washing my hands and turn back to thank her when I see her going over the vegetables, cutting several pieces I'd already done. I guess I didn't cut the small enough… She cuts the onion with lightning speed and does the same to the herbs. I want to be amazed at her skill, but the look on her face is bothering me. She looks irritated...

"Did I not do it the right way?…" She stops and looks over at me.

"No, you did fine. I just like them a little smaller so they cook evenly."

"But I didn't do it right." I sigh, rubbing my neck.

"Vega, it's fine. Really." She sets down the knife and washes her hands. "Tell you what. If you want, we'll go out later to the mall or something."

"Really?"

"Really. But, you gotta lose the pout." She smirks and flicks water at me.

"Hey!" I giggle and wipe the droplets off my nose. "Okay, no more pout." She pecks my cheek and returns to the food, slicing potatoes for fries. I help where I can but I mostly sit at the table with Rachel.

She takes a break from her work and talks with me for a bit, telling me she's surprised Jade let me help her. Jade is extremely finicky about how the food turns out that she's more comfortable cooking alone. Hearing that makes me feel really happy. Cooking seems almost cathartic for her, and to include me in something she loves feels nice.

"Vega, help me get this all plated." I go over and we fill five plates with the omelettes, bacon, fries, and toast. While we're bring everything to the table, Mitch comes in, on the phone, and Jasmine follows soon after. Jade pours the coffee and I get the cream and sugar before we're all finally settled.

"Jade, this looks wonderful." Jasmine smiles, sipping her coffee. Jade gives me a nudge as she adds sugar to her own coffee.

"Tori was a big help. Plus, the bonus to having her cook with me is, I found her weakness. Onions." I roll my eyes, my mouth too full to give a remark, and nudge her back. She did give me some good tips for the future though, to keep my eyes from watering like they did from the onions.

Breakfast goes by mostly uneventful, the dogs running in and out as they please, and everyone talking about their plans for the day. Mitch is going out to start the job search again, and Jasmine and Rachel are enjoying a quiet day to themselves. Jade only says we're going out later, not hinting at anything in particular, unfortunately. Whatever we do, I know it will be fun and depending on how it goes, I think I save my idea of planning a date for next time. I help Jade wash the dishes after everyone's done eating and while we're finishing up, Rachel comes over and hands Jade a leash. Jade takes it, feigning annoyance.

"Alright, alright. I'll take her out. Come on Tor, let's get dressed."

We head down to Jade's room and while she throws on a tank top and shorts, I pull on my clothes from yesterday. Jade goes over to her dresser and grabs her brush, pulling it through her hair before putting her hair back in a ponytail.

"Okay, I'm ready. We're taking your dog out, right?"

"Yeah, you can bring the mutt. He'll like it."

"Awesome!" I grin. Jack will definitely love a good walk. We go back upstairs and head out after getting the dogs leashed.

We start slow, just walking, but before long, Jade's running with Gypsy and Jack and I are doing our best to keep up with the two of them. I know that Jack could keep up with them, but he's staying at my place. No wonder Jade is so fit, she must do this often. She slows down when we reach a corner and I take a moment to catch my breath.

"You okay there?" Jade hands me her bottle of water and I take a long drink, nodding.

"Yeah, just need a minute. You're a good runner." I blush, realizing how stupid that sounded. Jade doesn't seem to mind it though and she laughs.

"Thanks, Gypsy and I run every morning before school. She keeps me nice and healthy." Gypsy seems to get restless and starts trying to jump on Jade. "Alright, alright, we'll go in a minute." She laughs, petting her before turning to me. "Ready to keep going, Vega?" I nod, drinking a little bit more water and handing it back when I'm done.

"Yeah, we can go now. I feel much better." We continue the run, with Jade going a bit slower than before so we're going at the same place now. After a rough start, I'm more comfortable running, but I do wish I'd thought to ask Jade for some shorts. These jeans are not good in this heat.

We end up going in a big circle before getting back to Jade's house. I'm not as tired as before and I actually feel like I have more energy now.

"I feel great! Let's go for another run!" I grin, shifting from foot to foot excitedly. Jade laughs, taking off Gypsy's leash and letting her back inside.

"You feel good because you hit a runner's high. It's a good feeling, but you don't want to overstrain yourself. Besides, I want to take you out, remember?" I smile more, remembering.

"Oh yeah! I forgot!" I follow her inside after letting Jack off his leash and we head back to her room. "Hey, would this be like, another date?" Jade throws me a smirk as she goes over to her closet.

"Do you want it to be a date?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it. At least I'd know it was a date this time." I chuckle.

"Maybe it could be then." She kisses my cheek and grabs her clothes. I blush, grabbing my bag and digging through it for my glasses. I wish I'd remembered to grab my contacts… I slip them on and sit on Jade's bed as she goes off to take a quick shower. I lay back and close my eyes, waiting for her to come back.

I hear the door open but I don't sit up just yet, too comfortable to move. "Don't fall asleep on me, Vega." I laugh and open my eyes, seeing Jade looking down at me.

"I would never." She raises an eyebrow, smirking at me. "Okay, okay. Had you taken any longer, I probably would have fell asleep." She chuckles and leans down more, giving me a soft, slow kiss. I sit up some, kissing back, and practically follow her lips when she pulls away. "Hey, I wasn't done yet." I give her a mock pout. She just gives me a light flick on my nose and I crinkle it, giggling.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later. First, I should find you some clothes to change into." I stand, stretching.

"Actually, could you drive me home? I can shower, change, and drop off Jack. It'll save some time."

"That's a good idea. I'm ready when you are then."

We head back up and say goodbye to everyone. Rachel makes me promise to come by again soon and I tell her I will as long as I'm welcome. After several hugs, two of which Jade loudly complained about when they caught her off guard, she rushes us out of the house fast and get Jack in the car before driving to my house. The drive isn't long and we actually get there pretty fast. Only my mom and Trina are there and mom explains that it's because something came up while Dad and the other cops were processing Gavin, something about having over 9 dogs in his house.

Most of them were relatively well kept, only somewhat underweight, and one or two of them badly injured. Those poor things… That bastard must have been raising fighting dogs… He would have done the same to Jack had I not saved him... The cops will have gotten the dogs out of there by now, hopefully, and I really hope they find good homes… No animal deserves to be treated like that.

Jade stays downstairs while I take my shower but I find her sitting at my desk when I'm out.

"Hey, have a nice chat with my mom?" I go over the mirror and dry my hair before grabbing my brush. "Yeah, she showed me so many baby pictures of you while you were gone." She laughs and stands up. " Hey, hang on." She walks over and turns me around, taking the brush and doing my hair for me. I chuckle, holding still.

"Do you like brushing hair or something?"

"Well, I used to brush Cat's hair for her when we were younger, but that was because she always ended up getting the brush stuck if she did it herself. With you, I just like your hair, how soft and shiny it is."

"You can brush it anytime then." I smile and enjoy the feeling because she's being very gentle. I see her smile through the mirror as pulls the brush through for a bit longer before finally deciding that my hair is done. I finish getting ready and we leave after saying goodbye to Mom, Trina, and Jack, and after Mom slips me some cash to get something nice at the mall. She gave me 100 bucks. Whoa… Maybe I'll get some new shoes… or a dress or two… I get in the car with Jade, still thinking it over and I don't realize we've gotten to the mall until she's tapping my shoulder.

"Tori, we're here." I look up and see that we are indeed at the mall.

"Oh! Sorry! I guess I space out." I blush, embarrassed, and get out. "So, anywhere in particular you want to go, or should we just wander around?" Jade has a strange look on her face for a split second before her expression returns to neutral.

"Let's just wander around. It's early and the mall only just opened so we'll have most of the place to ourselves."

"Okay." I smile. She takes my hand and we walk in together. I haven't been to the mall in a while and looks like there were quite a few new stores added. Hey, is that a piano? I start walking to it and stop when Jade starts laughing. When I turn to look at her, I notice that I was pulling her towards it.

"Excited there, Vega?" I giggle, blushing again.

"Sorry, I just love pianos." Granted, it's the only instrument I can play, but I didn't have Andre give me all those lessons for nothing. I play a string on keys and find it perfectly tuned.

"Young lady, that is not a toy." I look up and see a woman coming over swiftly, looking angry.

"Well, if you want to get technical, you play an instrument and you play with a toy, so wouldn't it be considered just a big toy?" Jade snorts and turns away, covering her mouth. The woman glares at me but there's not a lot of strength behind it. She doesn't say anything and I turn back to the piano, sitting at the bench. I play a song I've practiced countless times.

My fingers move across the keys with practiced precision and I don't even have to look at her to know the woman is stunned. There's a hand on my shoulder and I feel Jade sit next to me. I slight glance at her shows that she's not looking at me, but my hands. Maybe she wants to play next. The song come to an end and I sigh, rubbing my hands. The only thing that irritates me about playing is how cold my hands get during it.

"Young lady, that was absolutely beautiful…" I smile, giving her a slight nod.

"Thank you very much."

"Please forgive my rudeness before. We tend to have a lot of kids come in here and fool around with the piano. It's been damaged several times in the past week. But you, you are more than welcome to play anytime you'd like."

"Really? Thank you!" I grin and turn to Jade, who's looking at her phone. "Would you like to play something?"

"Maybe next time. We have to go. It's almost time."

"Time for what?" I stand up and thank the woman again.

"You'll see." She takes my hand and leads me to the escalator. We get to the second floor and she keeps walking until we come across an intense shop. Is this a tattoo parlor?

"Hey Jade, haven't seen you in a while." I turn around and see a man and a woman standing behind us.

"Hey Cassie." Jade lets go of my hand and goes over to hug the women.

"Who's your friend?" The woman, Cassie, looks over at me as Jade takes my hand again.

"This is Tori. She's my girlfriend." I give her a wave, blushing, and she grabs me in a hug, making me squeak.

"Oh, you're so cute! Nice to meet you, Tori. I'm Cassie, Jade's older cousin."

"Older is right." Jade says, under her breath, which results in Cassie letting me go and immediately punching Jade hard in the arm.

"Hey Jade. Shut up." She glares and Jade just rubs her arm, laughing. "Keep laughing and I'll tattoo a Care bear on your ass." That actually makes _me_ laugh and I get a small glare from Jade.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry. You're not old."

"Damn straight. Now, what are you ladies up to?"

"Well, Miss Tori here is going to be getting her first piercing."

"Wait, what? Jade… I am _not_ piercing my tongue."

"Who said anything about your tongue? You're piercing your belly button." I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow.

"And why would I do that?" Suddenly, Jade hits me with something I've never seen before. Something that catches me completely off guard. She pouts. She actually pouts.

"I thought it would be fun and special for our date. Me being with you for your first piercing." I stumble over my words before finally getting them out.

"W-well… I'd have to ask my mom. I mean, I'm not 18 yet." Jade reaches into her pocket and pulls out a slip of paper.

"Actually, your mom said it was okay." She flashes me a grin and I take the paper, reading it. ( _I give my daughter, Tori Vega, permission to get whatever she wants, but nothing too crazy. Sincerely, Holly Vega._ ) What…

"Did you ask my mom about this when I was in the shower?" Jade smirks and shrugs.

"Yup, she did make me promise you wouldn't come home with anything intense, like a face tattoo." She laughs. "So, wanna do it?" I sigh, biting my lip.

"Will it hurt…?" Jade gets serious, holding my hand.

"Maybe for a second, but you can hold my hand the whole time." I rub my neck, anxious, and think it over, nodding after a few minutes.

"O-okay… Okay. Let's do it." I try to build up my confidence to actually go through with it. I did want to get a piercing someday, but I never actually thought about where… Jade and I follow Cassie inside and Jade stands next to me, holding my hand as I sit in a chair. Cassie introduces me to the man, her boyfriend Andrew, and explains that he will be the one doing the piercing.

"Here are just a few different bars that we have. Any of these look good to you?" Andrew holds out a foam flat that have some belly button rings on it. I look them over, but most of them are just a little flashy… Except one. It's a silver rabbit with blue eyes.

"I like this one…" I point to it, looking up at Andrew, who removes it from the flat and proceeds to clean it thoroughly. Jade squeezes my hand and kisses my cheek.

"I was hoping you'd go for that one. Ready?" I take a deep breath and nod. Andrew comes back over with his tools and the ring and I close my eyes, not wanting to look. Jade gives my hand another squeeze and I squeeze back when I feel cold metal on my stomach.

Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God… "Tori." Okay, she said it'll only hurt for a second. I trust her, right. "Vega!" I open my eyes, sitting up quickly.

"I'm not ready!" Everyone just looks at me and Jade suddenly bursts out laughing. I frown and look at her. "What?"

"Tori, it's already done." I look down at my stomach and she's right. The ring is already there.

"Whoa… I didn't feel anything…"

"Yeah, because you were too busy squeezing the life out of my hand. I think you managed to crack some of the tiny bones in my fingers." She pouts and I let go, shoving her some but not really focused on that. I pierced my bellybutton… Holy crap…I actually did it... I touch it lightly and do notice a slight sting to the skin, but it's bearable.

"Wow…"

"You have no idea how hot that looks." Jade pulls me close to her and kisses me hard. I kiss back and giggle when I pull away.

"It really looks that good?"

"Hell yeah. Maybe you should also get a tattoo while we're here." She jokes, poking my side and chuckling. Actually…that's not a bad idea… I give her a smirk and put my hands on my hips.

"Maybe I should." Her eyes widen and she takes a step back, surprised.

"Uh, Tori? I was just kidding."

"Oh, I know, but why not? I already pierced my belly button. Why not get a tattoo? Besides, you have one."

"I got it for a specific reason. You know that." She frowns, crossing her arms.

"And maybe I want one for the same reason…" Her eyes go to my covered waist and she unfolds her arms, one of her hands touching my side. I put my hand on her arm and lift her chin to look back at me. "Please?" She sighs, rubbing her face.

"Fine… but if your mom asks, it was definitely your idea." I grin and peck her lips.

"Thanks, _Babe_." She blushes, smiling.

"Alright, if you're getting one, I might as well get one too. I've been wanting a new one for a while anyway." She takes my hand and we walk over to Cassie. Cassie is beyond excited that we're getting tattoos and we flip through books to get an idea of what we want.

"Do any of these look good to you?" She nods, looking at the book.

"Yeah, but I already know what I want." I close the book and put it back.

"I already know too." I laugh. "We were looking in the books for nothing then."

"I guess we were." She chuckles and stands with me. Jade goes over to Andrew and tells him what she wants and I go to Cassie. We're both in chairs while they prep everything and I notice Jade watching me. I blush from the attention and hide my face in my hands. Jade just laughs.

"Last chance to back out, Vega." I move my hands and see Cassie prepping the needles. My heart jumps and I feel someone grab one of my hands. I look over at Jade and squeeze her hand. " Hey, keep your eyes on me, okay?" I nod and take a shaky breath, my eyes locked on hers. A loud buzz goes off and Cassie starts working. I keep my body as still as possible but it's so hard… It hurts, maybe not as bad as I thought it would, but it definitely hurts… A second buzz starts up and a quick glance shows me that Andrew is starting to do Jade's tattoo. She's getting hers on her forearm below her star tattoo. Andrew's body is blocking most of my view so I can't see much. I wonder what she's going to get…

It all seems to drag on forever and when Cassie's done, there is an intense amount of relief rushing through me.

"Jesus Christ…" I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying not to think about the deep burning sensation in my side.

"You okay?" I open my eyes and meet Cassie's concerned ones. I nod, sitting up.

"Yeah… How long until it stops hurting?" She cleans my side and inspects it before putting some clear gel on it.

"It's a small tattoo so the pain should be gone in about an hour or so. Wanna check it out?" I nod and look over to Jade. Is she...sleeping? This girl is hardcore… I let go of her hand and she opens her eyes, smiling at me. I motion over to the mirror and she nods, understanding and shooing me so I can go look. I go over to the mirror and lift my shirt, looking down at my new tattoo. Covering the scar on my side, in a beautiful lettering, is Maggie's name. I couldn't have picked anything better to hide the scar and now, no matter what, she'll always be, with me… I brush at my eyes and smile, turning around.

"It's perfect…" Cassie grins and covers it with a bit of clear plastic to keep it clean.

"I'm glad you like it." Jade comes over, now that her is done, and checks out mine.

"You got another lady's name? I'm wounded Tori." She give me a playful smirk and I shake my head, smiling.

"You are such a pain in my ass. Why are you my girlfriend again?"

"Because I'm awesome, and cook you delicious food." She grins.

"Oh yeah… Yeah, you make some good food." She swats at me and I laugh, catching her hand. "Okay, let me see your new tattoo." She holds out her arm and right below her star tattoo, there is a trail of musical notes leading to the inside of her elbow.

"What do you think?" I look at them, amazed.

"This came out really nice Jade! It suits you well." She smiles, looking at it herself.

"Thanks. I've wanted this for a while. Glad I finally did it." We go up front and just as I'm digging for my wallet, Jade hands Cassie her card. Surprisingly, she only charges for my bellybutton ring, which was the least expensive thing. Both of our tattoos were free.

"Consider it a gift from us. You and your girlfriend are always welcome here." She hands Jade her card back with a smirk. "Maybe we'll even give you a discount next time." I can't stop thanking her and Jade gives her a hug.

"Cass, you're awesome, you know that?"

"I try." I keep thanking her and Jade has to practically drag me out the shop when we're done.

I still can't believe it. It's 11 o'clock in the morning and I just got my first tattoo _and_ my bellybutton pierced. This is insane… This might be the most intense date I've had now… Even if you consider all of yesterday.

"Hey, wanna get some lunch? I'm starving." I look over at Jade and she's looking over at the food court.

"Yeah, lunch sounds good." I grin and let go of her hand. "First one there gets to pick!" I take off running and hear Jade shouting behind me.

"Tori Vega! You get your ass back here!" I just laugh and keep going with her following. She's gonna be mad when she catches up, but I don't even care. I don't think I want today to ever end...

* * *

 **The link to the song that Tori played is in my bio. FFN is weird haha. Give it a listen if you'd like. It's very beautiful.**


	10. Daddy Issues

**Hey lovelies! I am _so_ sorry it took forever to post the newest chapter. Writer's block is totally not fun :( If you haven't seen the change in my bio, I have recently added my tumblr account as I'll be using that as a way to let you know when chapters are coming out slower or sooner. Please enjoy Chapter 9, I tried to do something a little different this time around! -Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Daddy Issues

(Tori)

"No fair… I won so I get to pick what we have for lunch." I pout, setting my food down on the table.

"Sorry, Vega, but I'm not eating that garbage." Jade sits and starts unwrapping her food.

"What's wrong with Wendy's? Their burgers are the best." I grab my fries and dip some in my chocolate frosty. Jade holds up her burger for me to see.

"Most fast food is trash, but this gets a pass from me. In-N-Out is damn good. Just look at my burger and look at yours." I have to admit, her food looks really good, but I know for a fact mine is going to be delicious. Just cause her burger looks good, doesn't mean it tastes good.

"Whatever, you enjoy your food while I enjoy my much tastier food." I stick out my tongue and take a bite of my bacon cheeseburger. She rolls her eyes and starts eating. The burger might look good, but her fries look weird… What the hell are animal-style fries and what is that sauce? Looks like there's relish in it… I shudder and sip my soda, going back to my own food.

The rest of our lunch goes by fine, and I even try a bite of Jade's burger. I told her it was _okay_ , but that was because I was too stubborn to admit how good it actually was. I finished my burger but the taste of hers kinda made mine taste bland. We toss our trash when we're finished and just walk around the mall, looking for something to do. Well, Jade's looking for something to do, I'm too busy checking out my belly button ring. It doesn't hurt at all now and it does look really cool.

My tattoo also looks really good, minus the ache and the little bit of bleeding from it. I'll have to go over the little info packet Cassie gave me to make sure I care for it properly. Don't want to irritate the area or have it get infected. At the very least, if I'm not ready to tell our friends that Jade and I are dating, we can just say we're friends now and we got tattoos together, though I'm not too sure how well they would buy that. We will just have to wait and see…

I pull out my phone to see if I can look up any other information on caring for my new jewelery and ink and I realize I turned off my phone when I went to sleep and never turned it back on. Once it's powered on, a glance at the time makes my heart leap. It's a quarter past 2. Damn it… I missed taking my meds and the bottle is back home. I should have Jade drive me back… I look over at her and she seems pretty content as we walk around, holding my other hand. We're having such a good time today and I really don't want to cut this date short… Besides, it's not even an emergency. I feel perfectly fine, and my anxiety is under control. I'll be okay for a few more hours. Yeah, I'll be fine.

I tuck my phone back in my pocket and focus on our walk, noticing a large booth nearby.

"Hey Jade, look!" I point over to a photo booth and pull her to it. "Let's take some pictures together!" She sighs, crossing her arms.

"Vega, this thing is meant for kids, teenagers, and sad adults without cellphones. It's a waste of 5 bucks when we can do it ourselves, for free." I look down, rubbing my neck. Danny said the same thing when we were dating, just not as bluntly.

"Alright…" I sigh. "What else should we do? I think there's an arcade around here somewhere." Jade rolls her eyes.

"Oh come on." Jade grabs my hand and pulls me to the photo booth.

"Wait, really?" She smirks, pulling the curtain open and motioning for me to step inside.

"Just get in before I change my mind." I grin and get in, sitting down and scooting so Jade can sit too. I put in 5 dollars and start it up.

Jade is a little stubborn at first and doesn't want to smile, but after the first two photos and some sneaky tickling, the last few photos are of us, smiling and holding each other. I'm bouncing on my toes excitedly as the photos come out and I grin, seeing how good they came out.

"I like this one the best!" I point to the last one where Jade managed to get her revenge and tickle me back. She's kissing my cheek and my face is all scrunched up from laughing.

"I will admit, you look pretty cute." She takes the photos from me, pulls a pair of scissors from her boot, and snips off the top one. "I'll keep this one. I look more natural here."

"You look intimidating." I laugh, taking back the rest of the photos.

"Exactly." She chuckles and takes my hand so we can go. "Just the way I like it." I just shake my head and we walk around to the other side of the mall, looking for something else to do. We end up coming across the arcade and here is where Jade seems to have more energy. Apparently, she really, really likes video games, mostly racing games.

We play several games of Mario kart, more than we should have but Jade keeps scaring off the other kids who want to play. Finally, after having my ass handed to me in each race, I decide that I want to play something else, and with the promise that we'll come back to it before we leave, I manage to pull Jade away from the game for the time being. We go from game to game for about 2 hours and we're having fun, but I know she really wants to play Mario Kart again so we compromise. Since I don't want to keep losing, I go play other games while she crushes the pride of kids and grown men alike, winning every single race. I work my way to the back and find the best game ever, Dance Dance Revolution. This game is perfect for me and I'm pretty sure I can rake in a ton of tickets from this game. Maybe enough to get a nice prize for Jade.

I'm in the middle of my last song and I'm super focused. A nice guy came over and offered to collect my tickets as they come out and now he's having difficulty holding them all. I really want to get something nice for Jade and now I'm positive I can. I just need to finish this song and...Yes! I got the perfect combo finish! That guarantees a 500 ticket bonus and not I can definitely get something cool for Jade. I even managed to get a new high score. I lock in my name and grin, knowing no one's gonna be beating that one for a while. I jump down from the dance pad and go to gather my tickets from the guy. I go to take them but he stops me.

"Whoa, before I give these to you, hear me out. You got some crazy moves there girl. How about you let me take you out to dinner and after, I can show you some of my crazy moves." I sigh, rolling my eyes. Of course he'd turn out to be a creep…

"Sorry but, I'm already seeing someone and I really should get back to them." I reach out for my tickets but again, he stops me and holds them up where I can't reach.

"I'm sure your boyfriend won't mind if you hang out with me for a little bit longer." A hand appears on his shoulder, squeezing tight and he turns around so that he's standing face to face with Jade.

"Her _girlfriend_ will definitely mind if you don't back the fuck off." He looks from her to me and scowls, dropping the tickets on the floor.

"Damn it… Why are all the hot ones gay?" He stomps away. I let out a sigh of relief and hug Jade.

"Thank you." She just shrugs, pulling back.

"It's whatever. Let's go." She starts to walk away and I quickly grab my tickets so I can follow her. She seems upset… Is she still mad about that guy? Is she mad at me?... I don't think I did anything wrong…

We go up to the counter and exchange our tickets. She doesn't have much since Mario Kart doesn't give tickets out, but she picks out a little silver charm bracelet that has skulls. I look around at the prizes and see a teddy bear that looks shredded and holding a knife. I chuckle and pick that. It's perfect for her. As soon as it's in my hands, I'm holding it out to her.

"Here, this is for you." She takes it and smiles, but it goes away after a few seconds. She's definitely upset by something…but what?

"Thanks… Here." Jade sets the bear down and puts the bracelet around my wrist. It's really cute… and the skulls look cool.

"Thank you Jade. I love it." I grin and kiss her cheek. Again, she just shrugs. I sigh and turn when the man behind the counter hands me a voucher for the 2486 tickets I didn't use, to save for next time because there's nothing else I want to get. "What do you want to do now?"

"Wanna go see a movie? I want to see that new Kentucky Killing House movie." I shiver as I put the voucher in my wallet.

"Yes to the movie, no to the scary movie. I already watched The Scissoring and that's enough scary stuff for me."

"Awe, come on. It won't be that bad. You said it yourself, you watched The Scissoring, and that is way scarier than anything else you'll ever watch, trust me." She gives me that pout and it's so compelling that again, I can't say no. I sigh and put my hands on my hips.

"Fine. But you're buying the popcorn." The pout goes away and a huge grin takes over. At least her mood seems better now.

"I already was."

"Also, I reserve the right to leave and sneak into a different movie if it's too scary." I go to hold her hand as we leave the arcade but instead, she puts her arm around my shoulders.

"Sounds fair, but I bet 50 bucks you stay throughout the whole movie." I chuckle, rolling my eyes.

"Deal."

* * *

I groan, leaning back in my seat and eating a box of Raisinets.. Jade was right. The Scissoring was definitely one of the scariest movies I've ever seen and it looked so real that now I notice the flaws in this movie. It's mildly scary in some parts, but the rest is just atrocious.

"Are you kidding me?! You can see the blood pack under his shirt, and that body is obviously made of wax. His face melting onto the floor."

"Yeah, they didn't do a good job of filming this. The storyline isn't bad, but it's ruined by poor production. I would have done a way better job with the crappy props at school." I chuckle and agree. Every production Jade's been a part of has never been anything less than stellar. I glance over at her and see that she's back on her phone. I huff and cross my arms. She's been on that damn thing the whole time. I thought today was supposed to be about us...

We sit through the movie and complain the whole time, much to the dismay and irritation to the other moviegoers, but as much as I'm trying to have fun, I can't. My head is killing me and all I can think about is now distant Jade's been acting. The fact that She fidgets when I lean against her and pulls away everytime I try to hold her hand isn't helping either. Her bad mood comes and goes and I'm really starting to wonder what **I** did wrong because it feels aimed towards me. She even snapped at me when I had some of her candy, even though she said we could share when we picked them. I'm trying not to think too much about it but it's difficult and really stressing me out…

I decide to get up for more candy and a chance to clear my head, and by the time I return, the credits are rolling and everyone is getting up to leave. I guess it was closer to the end than I thought. I go back over to Jade and she's doing something on her phone so I wait until she's done before tapping her shoulder.

"Hey, sorry that took me so long. The snack line was insanely slow. How's was the rest of the movie?" She shrugs, standing.

"It was trash. Probably better you missed it." She walks past me, back on her phone, and I just stand there for a moment, feeling bothered with how moody she's been. I really need to figure out what's going on with her.

I catch up to her and grab her shoulder, turning her to face me.

"What the hell, Jade? What's got you so bent today? You've been pissed off since we left the mall." She pulls away, rolling her eyes.

"I'm fine, Vega. Don't worry about it."

"Seriously? 'Don't worry about it'? That's all I _can_ do. You've been nothing but short with me unless we were talking about the movie, you yelled at me over candy," I huff, crossing my arms. She crosses her arms as well and I can tell she's getting madder by the second, but I've hit my limit. "You won't even hold me hand. It's like you don't want to be here with me. Like this is just a chore for you. What could I have possibly done that has you so tweaked?" She takes a step towards me when I finish and I instinctively step back, stunned by the glare being aimed at me.

"You haven't _done_ anything, Vega. Not yet. You're going to play the part of the innocent little girlfriend until you get bored and run off to date the next guy who bats his eyes and gives you the time of day. How many boyfriends have you had since you transferred? You don't last long in relationships, do you" Okay, that one stung... My jaw tightens and I glare at her, taking an angry step forward.

"Do you really think I'm going to turn around and break up with you like that? Jesus Jade, I let you talk me into a belly button ring. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Yeah, it means you're willing to do whatever it takes to make me think you're not like the others."

"What others? What are you talking about. I thought we built something these last few days. I thought you knew me better than that."

"Oh, I do know you. You're Tori Vega, the _good girl_ of Hollywood Arts. How long do you think this 'Bisexual' charade is going to last? This is just an experiment to you, a game, and I'm not going to let myself get played just because you want to try something new. You're just as bad as him."

"Jade, you've got this all wrong." She starts to walk away and I grab her hand to stop her, but she turns and shoves me away, knocking me into a couple of guys holding drinks and snacks. I'm on the ground and all of their stuff falls on to me. I stand up, in shock, furious, and covered in soda, popcorn and cheap nachos. Jade anger fades and even looks apologetic, but I've had enough.

"Vega-" I hold a finger up to stop her and take a deep breath to stop _myself_ from blowing up on her.

"I have been _nothing_ but honest with you since Friday. So if you really think I'm not taking this relationship seriously, then you can go fuck yourself, Jade." I storm out of the theater, tears streaming down my face, and pull out my phone to call my sister. I. Am. Done.

* * *

(Jade)

I watch Vega leave, feeling numb. Her words stung, but I'm still mad, and I know that I was right. I look down at my phone and re-read the most recent text from my father. ' _Heard you have a new girlfriend. I can't wait to meet her.'_ This is just like Rebecca and Gale and…Alexis. Fell for each one of them only to find out Daddy Dearest was paying them off to be with me and break my heart. I guess he hoped I'd stick to guys after it.

I really thought Tori was different though… She seemed the most real out of all of my girlfriend's, but singing isn't the only thing she's good at. She's a damn good actress, the ring and the tattoo will speak for that, and I almost fell for it, but I've learned the hard way not to trust anyone. She was pretty pissed, but to be fair, that little snack slip up was a good reason to be. After this, she'll stay far away from me, and maybe now, my dad will finally realize I'm not as naive as he thinks.

I toss the guys some cash to make up for wasting their food, and leave. I just want to get home and forget this whole weekend ever happened. Tori's not out here so she either started walking or got a ride somewhere. She better get home soon, it's almost dark. Not that I care, of course, but it would be…annoying if something happened to her and the chief of police came knocking on my door. Don't need that happening. Again.

I get in my car and start to pull out when I see Vega over at the gas station with the biggest wad of paper towels I have ever seen. Guess she's trying to get that cheese out of her hair. Gotta say, she kind of looks like Cat that day she sprayed cheese all over her and her ex-boyfriend, Daniel. I can see her face but at the rate she's scrubbing, I can tell she's still pissed. Oh, I almost forgot. I pull up beside her and reach into the back, grabbing her purse and that bear she gave me.

"Hey Vega, don't forget your crap." I toss them onto the ground and drive off, feeling pretty damn good. Mom and Rachel are going to get a kick out of this. They always love when I stick it to Dad and foil his little plots.

* * *

"You did what?!" Rachel nearly drops her glass and stares at me.

"I broke up with Tori. It wasn't going to work out between us, especially since she's been in Daddy's pocket this whole time."

"Jadelyn, what are you talking about?" Mom seems really bothered. I guess Tori worked her magic on them too much and they really did like her.

"It's just like last time, with Alex. I got a text from dad saying he knew about Tori. I never told him, and there's no way he would have found out about her this fast. He paid her to worm her way into my heart and almost worked." I go over to the fridge and look for something to eat. "Too bad I saw right through his plan. Tori's nursing a wounded ego and I am two steps ahead as always." I pop a grape into my mouth and turn around to look at them. I expect them to be happy about how I handled this, but they both look mad, like, actually mad. "What?"

"Jadelyn August West. I raised you better than that and you should know better than to assume. **I** was the one who told your father." I feel all the blood leave my face and I shut the fridge, looking at Mom.

"Y-you told him?"

"Yes. The police had to contact _both_ of your parents after what happened last night. He called me because he wanted to know what happened and he asked who Tori was. I was not going to lie to him and then have it blow up in your face later. Looks like that happened anyway." Oh God…

"I'm such an idiot… She hates me… Oh my God, she hates me…" I'm suddenly grabbed by my collar and dragged out of the kitchen. "Rachel, what the hell?!" She opens the door and shoves me out. I turn to yell at her but freeze at the look in her eyes.

"You let your father get to you and you hurt an innocent young woman who cares about you very much. You need to make this right and you're not coming back inside until you do."

"Ma…" She slams the door shut and I just stand there, dumbfounded. She…she just kicked me out… She's right though. I need to apologize to Tori. I jump into my car and drive straight to Tori's house. She's not going to want to listen to a word I say, but I need her to know how sorry I am…

I get to her place and I still don't know how I'd even begin apologizing… I sit in my car, scared to talk to her, and after 20 minutes, I've built up enough confidence to get out and go up to the door. No backing down. I'm here. I got this far. Even if she doesn't forgive me, I need to explain why I was such an asshole to her… I ring the bell and just as I'm ready to just bolt back to the car, a voice calls out.

"Who is it?" Sounds like Trina.

"It's Jade. Can I come in? I need to speak to Tori and-" The door flies open and before I can say anything else, a hand slaps me across the face. I stumble back, stunned, and look up at Trina who is fuming.

"How _dare_ you show your face here. After what you did to my baby sister, I should be kicking your ass." All the shock that I had is gone, and all I'm left with is a deep ache in my chest.

"I'd definitely deserve it if you did…" Trina stops just as she's shutting the door and I look at her. "Please, let me talk to her…"

"I don't think she's going to want to talk to you for a long time. Just go home, Jade." I catch the door before it closes and look Trina in the eyes as my own fill with tears.

"Trina...I messed up real bad...please, I need to at least try…" She stands there, staring at me with a look of surprise, and to my own surprise, she steps aside.

"You have 10 minutes." I rub my eyes and nod, coming in and running up the stairs. I stand in front of Tori's door, wanting to knock, but the sound of Tori crying on the other side has shaken me up more than anything. I can't just stand here… I let out a breath and open the door, walking in.

It's dark but from the dim light of the doorway, I can see Tori laying on her bed, her back to me. She sniffles and curls up more.

"Trina, I just want to be left alone…" I swallow hard and take a slow step forward, unsure what to even say now that I'm here. "I'm serious Trin, I will hit you if you don't leave." I stop, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Please don't… Your sister already slapped the hell out of me…" She sits up suddenly and turns towards me, gasping.

"Jade!" She moves back and falls off the bed with a yelp. I start to go over to see if she's okay but a pillow flies out and smacks me in the face. "Get out."

"Tori please, I'm here to apologize…" Another pillow comes but I managed to just barely dodge it.

"I don't want to hear it. Just get the hell out of here."

"I can explain! Please, just listen to me! I shouldn't have gone off on you like that! It wasn't your fault!"

"Then why did you?! What could I have possibly done to make you think I wasn't being real with you?!" She moves away from the bed and gets in my face. Now that I can see her face, I can see how red her eyes are and her cheeks are stained with tears.

"I'm sorry! I was stupid! I let my father get inside my head and I ruined everything because of it!" I reach out to grab her hand but she pulls away, covering her face.

"You said a lot of hurtful things… You brought up my ex-boyfriends and made me feel like…like some high school slut or something…"

"I never should have done that… It was a low blow and I am so sorry…" She steps back and sits on the bed, crying. There's only one way to get her to understand...and I really don't want to do it... "Tori… I need to tell you what happened between me and my father." She lifts her head, ready to say something, but I hold up my hands. "It's not going to make up for what I did, but it's the only way I can explain why I freaked out. Please?…" Her shoulders slump and she sighs, nodding.

"Fine…" I sit on the bed, keeping a safe distance between us so she's not uncomfortable.

"It started about 10 years ago. I was 8. My parents had just gotten divorced and after a long court battle, my dad won joint custody of me. He got to visit me anytime he wanted and I was forced to spend every other month at his house. It wasn't so bad at first, but I started to notice how angry he'd get when I talked about my mom. It got even worse after she married Rachel. He started making me go to work with him and tried to get me interested in what he did for a living, but I wasn't interested in any of it. It got to the point where I was openly irritated when he picked me up and I'd complain the whole time, wanting to go back with my mom."

I rub my face, feeling too vulnerable and exposed. I never wanted to think about this again. "My 13th birthday had just past and after spending it with my dad, I made the mistake of not only saying I wanted to go home, but that I wanted to see mom _and_ Rachel. He hates Rachel so much, and he'd yell at me just for talking about her. He didn't like that she and I were bonding and he went out of his way to always talk trash about her, and one day, I asked him why he hated her."

I run my hands through my hair. "He told me. He hated the fact that my mom divorced him because she was gay. She'd been hiding it from him for my sake. I wasn't even supposed to be born, but she and him got drunk one night and, boom. Mom was pregnant. She stayed with him for me, but when he found out the truth, it was like she was some demon trying to ruin his life. My dad is openly homophobic, so when he found out that his own wife was gay, he went off. He swore to her that he'd get me and raise me the right way, the way his parents raised him, so I wouldn't end up like her."

"That…that's awful…" I shake my head, sighing.

"Honestly, I think he knew before I did that I liked girls. He would yell at me when I talked about a friend from school a little too much, but never when it was a guy, and when I brought posters of actresses and female singers to hang up in my room at his house, he'd rip them up or they'd be gone by my next visit."

"He was definitely not handling it the right way, but that doesn't sound like the end of the world." I scowl, turning to look at her.

"Doesn't sound that bad, huh? Alright, well, there's the time I was 14 and he locked me in my room for four days, just because I called Rachel "Momma Rachel". Or the time he pushed me down a flight of stairs after I refused to go to this summer camp he picked for me. Worst decision of his life. Broke my arm in three places and the cops who were handling it also found out that the camp he wanted me to go to was one of those conversion camps. You know, the ones that abuse you until they think you're straight enough? He was ready to send me to one of those, and because of that, he lost custody. The one part that got me though was him not being arrested for breaking my arm. Since they believed me getting hurt really _was_ an accident, he got away with it." Tori stands up frowning and pacing.

"That's so...wrong… Did you not tell them what happened?"

"Of course I did, but it was at a dinner party for people are his office and he really made it look like an accident… Everyone at the party had the same story: I tripped on my dress while coming down the stairs. The EMT's just assumed I'd hit my head when I fell and thought my father did it. Ever since then, he's tried to have control over my life, from a distance. Every single one of my girlfriends was just some girl he paid, not to really date me, but to make me fall in love with them and then break heart to leave me vulnerable and think that he was right. The messed up part was, I had real feeling for a few of them…" Tori stops pacing and stands in front of me.

"That's what you meant when you said I was 'just like them'... You thought your father paid me to be with you…" I nod, rubbing my eyes, and then look at her, worried.

"That's not to say you did anything to make me think that. It's just...my father sent me a text that said he knew about you. I thought it was his way of saying he was involved… I let something as stupid as a text get to me and I took it out on you when you didn't deserve any of it. I never should have yelled at you like I did, or pushed you… I just... I have a lot of issues that I'm still trying to deal with and it gets hard sometimes…" She sits down next to me and I feel an arm around my shoulders and her hand grabbing mine.

"Well, you don't have to deal with them alone you know. Isn't helping you through problems the girlfriends job?" I snort, smirking a little.

"What, are you saying you still want to be my girlfriend, even after what I did to you?"

"I'm still mad that you pushed me and got my clothes all messy," I blush, nodding and feeling really bad about that. "But, I'm willing to give this another chance. Before that happens though, I need you to promise that we'll talk these things out next time. I don't want to fight with you again." She rubs my back and I sigh, squeezing her hand. She's really going to forgive me… I seriously don't deserve this woman…

"I promise…" I wrap my arms around Tori and bury my face in her neck. I still have this feeling of vulnerability, but if I'm being honest, it feels different with Tori. It feels safe. I really hope we're going to be okay now...


	11. Strawberry Short-tempered

**Good Lord. Never take advantage of your cellphones ladies and gentlemen. You don't realize what you have until it's nearly gone. O_0** **Long story short, I had some issues with an old cellphone that I use to type from and it ended up getting damaged. While I have an actual working cellphone, I can only use it for calling and texting because it's kind of old and can't handle much. I had just uploaded chapter 9 a day prior to when it happened so it feels good to pick back up. I've been using a physical notebook to keep writing and I've already started in on chapter 11. Got some good stuff coming up for you guys and I really wanted to just say thank you for waiting so long for my return. Please enjoy this much awaited and extremely late chapter! -Mercy Vale**

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Chapter Ten

Strawberry Short-tempered

( _Jade_ )

I sigh, rubbing my eyes, and look up at Tori

"Feel better?" A hand moves across my face to stroke my cheek and tuck some loose hair behind my ear.

"Not much, but a little, I guess." I shrug, rubbing the back of my neck.

"A little is better than nothing." She's not wrong…but I still feel like such an asshole…

"You're sure we're really okay now?" I ask Tori as she gets up and walks over to her desk, grabbing her brush and a hair tie.

"I want us to have a good long talk about trust before I can see us getting back to where we were, but we're still girlfriends, if that's what you mean." I watch as she hold out the brush and I smile a little bit, getting up to do her hair for her.

"I get it, I need to earn back your trust." I run a hand through my own hair when I'm done and nod. "Fair enough." She shakes her head and turns around, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"No. I need to earn _your_ trust. If this is going to work, I need you to trust me completely, like I trust you."

"I do trust you, Tori…" She gives me a look, frowning.

"Not enough if you thought your father was paying me to be with you." Ouch… She has a point…

"Well, I trust you now." She crosses her arms.

"Not good enough. I want you know I'm being 100% real with you and I know the best way to do that. Now, how do you think we should tell our friends about us?"

"Wait, you really want to tell them? I thought you were nervous about how they'd take it."

"Honestly, that doesn't matter to me anymore. I want to be open about everything. No more secrets. Not with us, and not with our friends. Whether or not they take it well, at least they heard it from us instead of finding out later." I sigh, nodding. She has a good point. None of them would be happy, especially Beck.

"Okay, we'll tell them. Just…let me tell Beck myself. Everyone else, we can tell together." She nods, smiling and patting my arm.

"Of course. Now, do you want to stay for dinner? I was going to order a pizza."

"I shouldn't. I should head home and give us both a little space to think. Plus, I don't want to stay too long and piss off your sister more." Tori waves it off, chuckling.

"Trina will be fine, don't worry."

She gives me a kiss on the cheek and goes to the door, opening it. Trina stumbles in and looks surprised and embarrassed.

"U-um… I-I wasn't listening... I was just...coming to see if Jack was up here. Dad said I should help out with him, you know, walking him and such." I bite back a laugh, looking at her and down at the floor. Tori just looks at her, amused.

"Trina." She points right next to her and Trina looks down, seeing Jack sitting right next to her. Trina turns red and immediately picks him up, groaning under his weight.

"Oh… There he is…" She immediately picks him him up, groaning under his weight. "Let's go for...a walk Jack…" I chuckle and kiss Tori's cheek.

"I'll walk out with Trina. I really should be getting home. I need to have a talk with my moms..." Tori nods, pouting, and I smirk. That pout is going to be the death of me…

"Fine…but only because I like your moms and want to stay on their good sides."

"Trust me, they wouldn't be mad at you." I smile and give Tori a quick hug before following Trina downstairs and outside after she puts Jack's leash on. "Hey. Thank you, for letting me come in and talk to her." She glances over at me as she ties her shoes.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for her." Definitely getting cold shoulder vibes from her…

"Well… Thanks just the same. I think we're going to be okay now." I reach into my pocket for my keys and drop them almost immediately when I'm shoved back against the door.

"You guys are only 'okay' because Tori forgives too easily. If I had things my way, you wouldn't be allowed within 300 feet of her. You sent her into a panic attack and she didn't take her meds so that only made it worse." My eyes widen and I feel anxious as I stare back at her. Meds? Oh right… She takes those same pills I used to take for my depression… Did I distract her so much that she forgot? "I don't like you, Jade, especially after how you treated my sister. I'm keeping my eye on you, so you better watch yourself." She lets go of my shirt and I smooth it out, not looking at her. Sheesh… She's scarier than my mom…

"I don't plan on hurting her again, but feel free to do whatever you want if it puts your mind at ease." I kneel by Jack and scratch his head, smiling when he licks my hand. "See you around, Mutt." I give Trina a wave and get into my car, heading home. I'm not looking forward to his talk with my mom's… Thankfully, I need to make a quick stop before I go home.

(Tori)

I flop on to my bed and sigh, rubbing my face. That definitely didn't go the way I expected it to. I wanted to stay mad at Jade, but…I could tell she really felt bad for the way she acted. She might be one of the best actresses in school, but I've learned a lot since meeting her, and if I know one thing for certain, it's that it's incredibly difficult for Jade to cry on command. She can sound upset and look upset, but her tears, or lack of, show her true colors. I've only seen Jade cry a few times, and only when she's genuinely sad or hurt, so I know she was being real.

The scary thing to come out of all of this though, is the fact that a small part of me felt good when I saw how upset she was. It was like, seeing her hurting made me feel better because that way, she could feel awful like me, even by just a little bit, and I don't like feeling that way towards her. I just want this to work between us and it's not going to happen if we're fighting with each other constantly, or taking small amounts of joy from the other being hurt. Knowing what caused most of that hurt, her past with her father, just makes me feel like a terrible person for wanting to stay mad… How could a man do those horrible things to his own child? I could never imagine that… My dad has always been loving and caring and Jade really deserved a father like him… Now I get why he made me uncomfortable when we met.

My stomach growls and I sigh, sitting up. No use stressing about this on an empty stomach. I grab my phone and place an order for pizza and cheesy bread. It's just me and Trina for the night since mom and dad are out having a date night, so we don't need too much. I head downstairs and just as I'm reaching the bottle steps, Trina's walking with Jack. He runs up to me the moment he's off his leash and I smile, petting him.

"Hey bud… Sorry I ignored you before. It won't happen again, promise." I kiss his nose and look over at Trina. "Thank you for walking him. I hope he wasn't too much trouble. I know he has a lot of energy."

"He was fine. I've actually missed having a dog around since Maggie passed away." She stops, looking at me with slight panic. "Ahh… Sorry… I didn't mean to bring her up."

"It's okay… I've been thinking about her more actually and I think it's helping." I go over to the couch and sit, with Trina following.

"Is that because of him?" She motions to Jack and I nod, smiling.

"It's mostly him, but it's because of Jade too. She's the first one of my friends who knows what happened now. We talked about it on Friday." Trina frowns, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"You must really like her if you trusted her with that… Did she talk you into getting that?" I look to where she's pointing and see my tattoo.

"No, I decided to do that on my own. The belly button ring was her idea though, and before you freak out, she asked Mom's permission first and I doubt she would have let me actually go through with it if I didn't want to."

"I don't know Tori. I feel like it's something you're going to wind up hating when you two break up, again."

"What do you mean 'when'? We just got back together." I frown, looking at her. She shrugs and grabs the TV remote.

"I'm just saying, she went off on you once, it's bound to happen again. You know her temper better than anyone." I snatch the remote from her, and glare.

"So what, you don't think I made the right decision? Don't you trust my judgement in other people?"

"No, Tori, I don't. Remember Steven?"

"Trina, don't you dare-" I tense up, getting more angry.

"You thought **he** was great and _so cool_. So what do you do? You let him take your virginity." I clench my teeth and feel tears burning in my eyes.

"Trina…"

"You were sooooo in love with him. Then you found out he was cheating on you with that iCarly girl." I grab a couch pillow and hit her hard with it.

"Shut up! You have no right to throw that in my face!" She pulls the pillow from me and grabs my arms to stop me from trying to hit her.

"Don't you see the point I'm getting at though?! When you fall for someone, you fall hard for them!" I stop struggling against her and listen to what she says, frowning. "You make decisions that you end up regretting and it only sets you back more." She lets go of me when I'm calmer and rubs her neck, sighing. "I'm just trying to look out for you Tori. It's my job as your big sister." I huff and slump back on the couch.

"I thought your job was to annoy the hell out of me…" She shrugs, smiling a little bit.

"Eh, that's just a part of my job, and my favorite." I chuckle some before stopping and thinking. I sigh and stare down my hands.

"So you…think I should break up with her?"

"No Tori," I look at her, surprised. "I just want you to take things slow and learn more about her. Find out if you really like her, or if this is just a first girl crush situation." I nod.

"Alright…that's fair, I guess, but I need you to do something for me. Be a little nicer to Jade… It'll be easier for me if you two get along, even just a little bit."

"Do I have to? She's so…Jade." I chuckle, standing up when I hear the doorbell.

"I know, and yes, you have to." I open the door and pay the pizza guy, bringing the food in after.

"Fine. If I must." She says it a little over dramatically and it makes me laugh. "I guess that means I should apologize for slapping her."

"Wait, you really did slap her? Seriously?" I set the food on the kitchen table and turn to look at Trina, my arms crossed.

"What? She made you cry so she had to pay for it." I bring her a couple slices of pizza and a soda, setting it on the coffee table.

"Don't hit my girlfriend again," I pause for a moment. "And yes, apologize to her, or I'll tell mom what _really_ happened to her wedding dress." Trina holds up her hands, defensively, before grabbing her food.

"Alright, alright. I'll apologize, okay? Maybe I shouldn't have slapped her, but she really pissed me off."

"Trust me, I know, but thing will work out. I have a better understanding of where all her anger comes from, and I want to help her with it." She stops eating and sighs, smiling.

"You helping Jade West curb her temper? Geez, you _do_ like her." I chuckle, nodding.

"I really do." I just want to make sure that by trying to help, I don't end up making things worse for her…but let's just save that for tomorrow. Right now, I just want to relax. I toss Jack some pepperoni off my pizza and lean back on the couch, ready to enjoy the rest of the night with him and my sister.

-The next morning-

I wake up to a faint ringing and roll over, grabbing for my phone. I yawn and swipe to answer, clearing my throat before giving a half asleep,

"Hello?"

"Did I wake you up? You're still sleeping?" I rub my eyes and pull the blanket back up.

"Mornin' Jade…" I yawn again, getting comfier.

"I'm on my way to pick you up. Make sure you're ready, okay?"

"Be up in a minute…"

"Vega...Vega?…" I let the phone drop from my hand as I fall back to sleep, hearing a faint voice yelling something.

-20 Minutes later-

I feel something yanked off of me and I curl up closer to my pillow, groaning as I try to go back to sleep. Must be Jack getting on the bed again… I shiver and feel around for my blanket, wanting to get warm again.

"Vega! I texted you like, 5 times, get outta bed!"

I feel tugging at my arm and I groan, trying to pull it back.

"Just 5 more minutes…" The tugging continues and I grumble, grabbing my pillow and flailing it around to get whatever it is that has my arm to let go. "It's still early...stop.."

"Tori, it's 7:30! We're going to be late if you don't get up!" My eyes fly open and I sit up suddenly, my forehead connecting with something hard.

"Ow…" I rub my forehead and look up at Jade, who's doing the same. "Jade?"

"Yes. Jade. I'm here, now get up and get dressed. We have to leave in 10 minutes." I look over at the clock and swear under my breath. How did I end up sleeping so late? I jump out of bed and grab some clothes before running into the bathroom. 5 minutes later, I'm showered, dressed, and looking for my shoes. Jade brushes my hair as I put my shoes on, which saves me some time, and soon enough, I'm ready to go.

"Okay, I think I'm all set. Let's go.'

"Good, come on." We head down the steps and get to the door but I stop suddenly, remembering something.

"Oh wait. Hang on." I run back up to my room and hear Jade calling out to me.

"Tori! We're going to be late, hurry up!"

"I just need one more minute! Promise!" I get to my room and hurry over to my dresser, grabbing my makeup bag. I carefully apply some makeup to cover the bruising on my cheek. It looks much better, but it's still noticeable and I'd really rather keep up the appearance that nothing happened to me. Less questions to answer later.

I stand up when I'm done, and just as I'm about to head back down, I take one last look at myself and decide to make a quick wardrobe change. Haven't worn a midriff top in a long time and I kinda want to show off my tattoo and belly ring. I change and run back down, smirking when Jade's still really grumpy and yelling.

"Vega, if you don't hurry up, your ass is walking!"

"Alright, alright! I'm coming. Sheesh." I grab my bag off the couch, and after saying a quick goodbye to my parents and tossing a treat to Jack, we run out to Jade's car. It's really bright out so I figured through my bag and grab my sunglasses, sliding them on. When Jade holds my door open, I don't get in right away and she looks at me, exasperated and groans.

"Now what?!"

"Don't I get a good morning kiss?" I cross my arms.

"Oh, for Pete's sake." She grabs me by the front of my shirt and crushes her lips to mine before pulling away. "Good morning. _Now_ can we go?" I nod, a little dazed from the kiss, and get in the car. Jade gets in too, starts it up, and backs out before speeding off down the road.

"Jesus Christ Vega…" She sighs, looking at me. "You really know how to get the blood pumping in the morning." She takes a sip from a Jet Brew coffee cup before passing it to me.

"Sorry. I guess I overslept when my alarm didn't go off. I'm still tired and a little crabby myself." I take a sip and find that it Hazelnut, with no cream, and lots of sugar. "Ohh… This is really good."

"That's why it's my favorite." She gives me a smirk. "Finish that, it'll help you wake up."

"I can't drink all of it. It's yours." I try handing it back but she refuses.

"Don't worry about it. You can just buy me a new one at lunch." She winks and chuckles before looking back to the road. I immediately blush and focus on the coffee so I'm not just staring at her. "You gonna drink that coffee, or make out with it?" I look up and realize that I must have been staring too intently at the cup. I laugh and shake my head, taking a sip.

"The coffee's good, but I'd rather be making out with you." She steps a little too hard on the brakes and I giggle at the bright red blush spreading across her face. "Okay, okay, no more teasing." She mumbles something under her breath and continues driving.

It doesn't take us too long to get to school and soon enough, Jade's parking in her usual spot. We made it on time and part of me is a little miffed at Jade for rushing me so much. We could have been a few minutes late, then I probably could have had breakfast. I sigh, looking out the window, and see other people getting out of their cars and heading in.

"You ready for this?" I look over to Jade and nod, checking myself over one more time. I can do this. It'll be no different than when I was dating Ryder, or Steven and we'd show up to school together. Well… it'll be a little different actually… This will be the first girlfriend I come to school with and that will be the first thing they notice...

"I'm not sure I'm ready for all the looks and gossiping, but it would only happen eventually, right?"

"Hey," She takes one of my hands and squeezes it. "Don't worry about them. I want you to hold your head up high when you walk in there. Show them that hardcore badass side I know you have." I squeeze her hand to calm my nerves and think. She's right… This is something I wanted to do, not just as a way to show Jade she could trust me, but because I didn't want to hide myself from everyone after being so free and open with Jade over the weekend.. I latch onto the confidence she gave me and give her my best smile, taking a deep breath.

"I'm ready." I start to get out, but stop after remembering something important. "Hang on… People will know about us once soon enough. Shouldn't we wait until you've talked to Beck? I know you wanted to be the one to tell him first." She shakes her head, giving an embarrassed smile.

"Actually, I uh...called him last night. He knows. He took it surprisingly well." Whoa… I didn't think it would go over that well. I guess he just wants to be supportive. That's one friend in the loop then. Just 3 more to go. 4, if you want to count Rex. "So? You sure you're ready to go in?" She looks really excited and her grin is beyond cute. I chuckle and nod, leaning over to give her a hug.

"Yes. I'm ready." We both step out and I grab my bag, slinging it over my shoulder before going to stand by her side. I'm with Jade, who is by far the most badass person in school, while people normally avoid looking at her to dodge her rage, I feel nothing but eyes on us. They can't know yet, so they're probably surprised someone other than Beck or Cat was in her car and doesn't look traumatized.

I adjust my sunglasses and just as I'm about to start walking, she grabs my hand and pulls me back to her, kissing me slowly and much more gently than the first one she gave me this morning. I blush, returning the kiss, then bite my lip and giggle when she pulls away.

"Just making sure they know you're mine." She chuckles and pecks my cheek before pulling me with her. I'm still a little stunned by the kiss, but I manage to follow her steadily, and as we head inside, I hear a few people whispering but I choose to ignore it, whether it's good or bad. I take Jade's advice and hold my head up, giving a confident smile as we walk past them. My heart is racing and my thoughts are a bit erratic, mostly from the kiss, but it's not showing on the outside. We have the attention of every person here and I am liking it more and more. We part and go to our own lockers, but while I'm still getting everything I need, she's already done and right beside me a moment later, leaning on the locker next to mine and texting. It must be Beck because he's on his phone when he walks up to us.

"Morning ladies." He smiles and gives us both a hug. "I gotta say, I don't think Jade and I had nearly this much attention when _we_ first started dating."

"People are still staring at us, aren't they?" I blush, grabbing my last book and putting it in my bag. Jade chuckles and I glance at her, seeing her watching me.

"Oh yeah, but I think they're staring at you. They probably think I brainwashed you or something." She grins, popping a piece of gum in her mouth and offering me one, which I take.

"Wow Jade, you rarely shared your gum with me." Beck gives her a playful nudge to which she responds by smacking his arm.

"That's because you always have your own. Tori never has gum on her."

"Which is why I always have my own gum. Asking you was always out of the question and she has a bad habit of chewing on pencils when she's bored so the gum helps," Beck pauses for a moment, thinking. "And borrowing pencils because she always forgets hers."

"I'm right here you know," I stick my tongue out at them as I close my locker. "Besides, I don't _always_ forget my pencils." Jade raises an eyebrow and looks at me.

"Do you have a pencil, Tori?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I have a few in my purse," I reach for my purse before coming to the sudden realization that I only have my school bag, not my purse. "And it's at your house… God damn it." Both of them laugh at me, which only makes me pout more, and Beck starts to dig through his backpack. Before he can do anything though, a gold and black pen is held in front of me.

"Here, you can borrow one of my pens." I take it, grateful to have something to use now, and I give Jade a smile.

"Thank you, Jade. I really appreciate this." She just shrugs, but smiles too.

"Just don't bite it. Or else, I'll bite you." I instantly blush and notice a blush creep up her face as she realizes what she said. "I-I mean… Just don't bite it, okay. That's one of my favorites. Seriously, I'll be pissed." I nod and tuck in into my bag.

"I'll be super careful. Thanks Jade." I lean over and kiss her cheek, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah.." She smiles and nudges me with her elbow. I chuckle and adjust my bag, ready to head off to class.

Jade, Beck, and I talk for a bit about classes and our upcoming exams until the bell rings, and after giving Jade a quick kiss, I head to my first class. It's not that I dislike music history, but I'm too distracted to pay attention. I'm trying to concentrate on the teacher, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see the others whispering and looking over at me. It doesn't seem in a malicious manner, but it still makes me a bit anxious, wondering what they're saying… I just need to remember what Jade said earlier, hold my head up and don't worry. They're probably just curious about how we started going out.

I'm able to get through this class and the next with little to no issues. My theory is confirmed when a few people come up to me and all how Jade and I got together. They don't seemed bothered by it, just genuinely interested. One guy even asks if I think this is just a prank by Jade to trick me into letting my guard down, which makes me laugh. If this was some elaborate plan, I like to think I would have figured it out by now. I answer a few questions and thankfully no one asks anything too personal or embarrassing.

When second period is over, I hurry out and head to Sikowitz's class, texting Jade and asking her if she's got anymore gum. She sends an eye rolling emoji and a thumbs up and I grin, sending the tongue sticking out emoji, and I'm about to send a thank you when I bump into someone and drop my phone. I mumble an apology and reach for my phone, but someone else grabs it first,, looking at it.

"So the rumors _are_ true. Perfect student Tori Vega going out with the nightmare queen herself. Who would've thought." Missy Davis, head cheerleader and major pain in my ass… I roll my eyes and grab my phone back.

"Does who I'm seeing bother you, Missy? Because last I checked, it wasn't any of your business. Now excuse me, I'm late for class." She looks offended and scowls at me as I push past her.

"How dare you! You…you freak!" I sigh, shaking my head. Is that really the best she can come up with? She really gives cheerleaders a bad name…

I get to class and spot Jade sitting in her usual seat, with Beck beside her and an empty seat on her opposite side. Before I can sit though, I'm nearly tackled in a hug.

"Tori! You're the best!" I look down at Cat in confusion.

"Uh...thanks, I think?" I look over at Jade who just shrugs. "Why am I the best?"

"Andre and Robbie are both giving me a jumbo bag if bubble because I was right about you and Jade!" She lets go and starts hopping around, excited.

"I'm gonna need more than that… What fo you mean you were right about us?" Andre comes over and sighs, trying to get Cat to relax.

"She swore you and Jade were going to end up together and Robbie and I said we'd give her bibble if you did. We didn't think it would actually happen."

"And now I have a ton of bibble!" Cat keeps bouncing around and bumping into everyone.

"Great. Andre, Robbie, you guys can drop those off at my house." Cat stops bouncing and turns to Jade, pouting.

"Awe, why Jade?" Jade gives her a look and stops filing her nails.

"Do I really have to say it? What did you promise me?" Cat mumbles something, looking away from her. "Can't hear you, speak up."

"No more unsupervised bibble eating…"

"Good girl. I'll keep the bibble at my place and you can have some whenever you come over."

"Fine…" She keeps pouting and goes to sit with Robbie and Andre. I, amused by the whole scene, go and sit beside Jade, who gives me a piece of gum before I even have to ask. I peck her cheek and eat the gum before turning my attention to Sikowitz riding into the room on a scooter. He checks my face, remembering my fall on Friday, and deems me fit to lead the class in the first ABC improv of the day.

I stretch a little as we all head outside for lunch.

"Tired?" Jade pokes my side and I giggle, moving her hand because it tickles.

"Tired, hungry. I didn't get to have breakfast, remember?" I poke her back and she just smirks.

"Hey, you were the one who overslept, not me." She drops her bag by our seats and makes me sit. "I'll get lunch, just wait here." I sit and watch her go over to the food truck. She's in a much better mood today and that makes me really happy… She even reminded me to take my meds before it was even time, which was good because I never keep an alarm on my phone and I forgot my watch at home.

"Is that a tattoo?!" Cat lift the side of my shirt and gawks at the tattoo I'd gotten. The guys all lean over to look and I blush, pushing Cat's hand away. I love my tattoo, but even though it covers my scar, I still feel anxious and exposed...

"Yes, it's new and still sore, so don't touch it please."

"That's so cool! I want a tattoo!" I chuckle and fix my shirt.

"Cat, you don't even like needles, and this is a lot of needles, all at once."

"Oh… I don't want one then." The guys and I laugh, and to make Cat feel better, I send her some of the pictures I took of Jack last night. She goes nuts over them and starts begging me to let her come over and play with him, so I agree after making her promise to be calm and gentle around him. I'm sure she'll be fine with him, especially with me there.

Robbie, who was pretty quiet today, suddenly points behind me.

"Tori, look out!" I turn to look behind me and out of seemingly nowhere, I'm covered in several ice cold strawberry milkshakes.

" _What the hell_?!" I jump up and look to where the drinks came from. There, in front of me stands Missy and several members of the cheer squad.

"Oh Tori! I'm so sorry! Melissa was so clumsy and bumped all of us. Here, let me help you."

"Help me?! You did this on purpose, you conniving little-"

"Hey!" I stop, looking over at Jade as she walks over, carrying food and two drinks. She sets everything down and gets in front me, facing Missy. "You want to explain to me how my girlfriend is covered those gross food truck milkshakes?" Missy crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

"I was already telling her that it was an accident. One of my girls tripped and made us drop our drinks on her."

"Th-that's not true…" We all turn towards Robbie and he doesn't actually make eye contact with any of us.

"You keep your mouth shut, nerd." Missy scowls at him and starts to walk away but Jade blocks her.

"Say what you have to say, Robbie." I give him a nod and thank Cat when she hands me a bunch of napkins, cleaning as much of the milkshakes off my clothes as I can.

"It wasn't an accident… I saw them sneak up behind Tori and throw the drinks."

"I knew it. You are so dead!" I start towards Missy but someone beats me to the punch, literally. Jade actually punches her in the face, and before anything else happens, Beck has to grab her to stop her from going any further.

"Jade, relax. You're going to get suspended again." She struggles to get away from Beck and Andre holds my arm to keep me from joining in.

"I'm reporting you to the principal, you psychopath! You're done, West! Do you hear me?!" Missy holds her eye as the other cheerleaders pull her away to go to the nurse. Jade tries harder to get Beck to let go and I pull away from Andre to grab her hand.

"Jade, stop. They're gone, calm down." She stops struggling but looks at me angrily.

"Why should I?! Do you want them to keep messing with you like that?"

"Of course not, but this isn't helping. You're going to get yourself in trouble, especially for hitting her first." She looks in the direction of the other girls and then back at me.

"But-"

"I get it… I wanted to punch her too, but it's not going to help much." Beck lets go of her and she runs a hand through her hair. "Thank you for defending me…" She nods and looks me over, sighing.

"We should get you cleaned up…" She turns around and sees Cat, who's hiding behind Robbie. "Cat, can you give me a hand?" She nods and comes over.

"I'll get some clothes for Tori to change into…" Cat starts going inside and Jade pulls me to follow them both.

Cat leads us to her design class and goes over to a locker with her name on it. She opens it up and looks through a bunch of clothes that are in there before pulling out a pair of jeans with a sequin tiger design down the legs, and a blue tank top with a dolphin stitched onto it.

"Sorry for all the sequins. That's what we were working on last week…" I accept the clothes, grateful, and smile.

"Thanks Cat. I appreciate it, seriously." Jade takes the clothes from me and motions to the door.

"Cat, go back to the guys. I'll walk with her to the locker room, okay?" Cat looks at us and pouts, looking almost ready to cry.

"But what if those girls show up…?"

"We'll be okay, Cat. Don't worry. I'll make sure Jade doesn't beat anyone else up." Jade nudges me with her elbow and I nudge back.

"Are you sure…?" I nod and smile at her.

"I promise."

"Yeah, I won't hit anyone else, Cat." Jade gives her a half hug and Cat seems to feel better.

"Alright. I'll see you two when you're done." Cat locks up her things and Jade leads me to the locker room. Thankfully I keep shampoo, soap, and a towel here for days that I have dance class otherwise I'd have to go home. I find my locker and grab everything I need while Jade stands near the door.

"I'll keep watch. Go take a shower and wash that crap off." I nod and go to the showers, washing every last bit of the sticky drinks out of my hair. At least it's not nacho cheese and soda again...

Just as I'm coming out of the shower, a loud buzz can be heard over the school's intercom.

" **Jade West, please report to the main office**." Oh boy… She's going to be pissed… I sigh and get dressed, keeping my towel around my shoulders so my top doesn't get wet. Once I'm done, I go back out into the locker room and see Jade still waiting there, looking surprisingly calm.

"Jade? Are you okay…?" She nods and takes my clothes from me, sticking them in a bag and tying it up.

"Oh, I'm fine, but your little friend Missy won't be. Let's go." I follow her, hesitantly, and wonder what must be going through her mind right now. Whatever it is, cannot be good and I can only hope she's not going to blow up on Helen…


	12. A Long Walk

**It's a Non-descript Holiday Miracle! I hit sudden inspiration for this chapter and it was so smooth to write that it blew me away hahaha I really hope you guys enjoy it! -Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

A Long Walk

I follow Jade as we head down to the main office and I can tell that she's getting angrier the closer we get.

"Maybe they're just calling you down for something else." I'm having a little trouble keeping up as I'm trying to brush my hair and watch where I'm going at the same time.

"The timing's too perfect, Vega. It can't be for anything else…"

"You were only defending me. Maybe Helen won't be too mad…" I keep following her and see other students whispering and pointing at us, but Jade doesn't seem to notice. Cat, Beck, Andre, Robbie, and even Trina are waiting by the lockers and I give them a quick wave just before we go into the office. Inside, sitting by Helen's door, is Missy and a couple of the girls that were with her. Her cheek is already looking purple and she's glaring at the both of us as Jade stops in front of her.

"How's your cheek, Davis?" She scowls, crossing her arms.

"Go to hell, you filthy dyke." I tense up at the word and clench my jaw. That bitch! I move quickly towards Missy and bring my arm up, ready to punch her.

"You want the other side to match?" She flinches and right when I'm about to hit her, Jade pushes me back, away from Missy and stands in front of me, holding my arms.

"Tori, stop. She's not worth you getting into trouble too." She makes me look her in the eye and after a moment, I've started to calm down. "Deep breaths, Tor." I do what she says and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She's right. It's not worth it… I give a nod to show that I'm okay and she takes my hand. She leads me into Helen's office and right before I close the door, I give Missy and her friends the finger.

Helen is on her phone and holds up her hand when we walk in, telling us she talk in a moment.

"Yes, thank you very much. We will discuss this more when you get here." She hangs up and takes off her glasses, looking at the both of us.

"Sit down, Jade. Tori, shouldn't you be in class?"

"Well… I think I should be here too, since I'm part of the reason Jade's here." I rub my neck and watch as Jade sits in a chair and looks irritated and a little bored.

"I'm going to need an explanation from both of you them. What happened out in the Cafe?"

"My girlfriend had drinks dumped on her and I reacted accordingly." Helen takes note of the word girlfriend and then turns to me as I sit next to Jade.

"Were the drinks the only issue? The girls claim it was just an accident." I shake my head.

"It wasn't an a accident. Our friend Robbie saw himself that the milkshakes were thrown onto me. He tried to warn me beforehand, but it was too late." Jade leans forward, looking more angry now.

"Yeah, they did this for absolutely no reason. Maybe I shouldn't have hit her, but I was pissed off that anyone would do that to Tori."

"Actually… I think they did have a reason… Missy had been a pain since earlier this morning when she found out Jade and I are dating, like it was just a joke to her. She seemed to be trying to get a rise out of me and was very bothered when I didn't take the bait and walked away." Jade looks over at me, confused.

"You didn't tell me about that…"

"It didn't seem to important at the time… I didn't exactly plan ahead for something like this, you know?" Helen writes down everything that we say before setting down the pen.

"Alright, I'm going to need to speak to your friend Robbie, to get his side of this situation, but as it stands, you still put your hands on another student, Jade. That's an automatic 3-day suspension."

"I figured as much…" I look over at Jade and she doesn't even seem mad about the suspension. "I'll go grab my stuff and head home." She sighs, standing, and starts to leave. "My mom is going to be so pissed." She smirks, like it's funny, and knowing Jade, it probably is to her. But 3 days without her here doesn't sound funny to me. It sounds boring as hell. I stay behind, trying as hard as I can to convince Helen to let it slide just this once, to no avail. She's not backing down on this… I storm out of the office and bump right into Jade who seems Frozen in place.

"Jade? Are you okay?" She's staring straight ahead and when I follow her gaze, I see him. Her father. She standing at the main desk, signing some papers.

"Sh-she called my d-dad…" She grabs my hand out of nowhere and squeezes it hard. I'm pull back into Helen's office and Jade get right in front of her desk. "Why did you call my dad?!" Helen is startled by the outburst, stands to calm Jade down.

"I have to contact a students parents when they've gotten into a fight." Jade slams her hands on the desk, backing up. I place a hand on her back to steady her and I notice her eyes are shiny with unshed tears.

"But why didn't you just call my mom? Why did you have to call him?!"

"I tried to contact your mother but it kept going right to voicemail, so I called your father."

"You should have just called my stepmom." She storms out and runs past her father, not responding when he calls out her name. I yell for her too, but it only catches his attention. He walks up to me and I feel extremely uncomfortable.

"You. You're her...girlfriend, aren't you?" You can just feel the disgust in his voice when he says Girlfriend. I swallow hard and look towards the door, wanting to leave and find Jade. "I want you to stay away from my daughter. I will not have you ruin her with your filthy ways."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't do that." I glare at him and take a step back.

"Everyone has their price, especially some high school kid." He pulls out a checkbook and a pen, holding a slip of paper out to me. "Take this, and never speak to my daughter again." I look at the check he handed me and my eyes widen. Five thousand dollars… That's…a LOT of money… I take a deep breath and look him in the eye as I tear the check in half.

"You can't buy me off. I care too much about Jade." I glare at him as I keep shredding it. "I don't want your money." I drop the bits of paper at his feet before leaving to search for Jade. I need to make sure she's okay...

The first thing I do is go out to the parking lot and check to see if her car is still here, which it is. So unless she took off without her car, she's somewhere in the school… I text everyone, asking if they've seen her and it's a flood of no's until I get a text from Beck. He said she looked upset when he last saw her so I should check the janitor's closet because she always goes there when something is bothering her. He's right. I open the door to the janitor's closet and there she is, sitting in the far corner away from me.

"Jade…" I shut the door and go over to her, trying to get her attention. She immediately looks up at me and runs to the door. She looks around frantically before shutting and locking the door. She looks absolutely freaked out and I wrap my arms around her and hold her as she leans against me. Jesus…she's shaking so badly...

She starts to relax after some time and has her arms around me tight, like she doesn't want me to let go of her. "I'm here for you, Jade… I'm not going anywhere, I promise." While I understand why she'd be this upset at seeing her father, I'm more than a little confused. She didn't react like this that day I met her father while we were putting on her play. She seemed so calm then...

"What am I going to do, Tori?" She rests her head on my shoulder and sniffles, rubbing her eyes. "I don't want to see him… The last time I saw him, he came to my play and that was only to rub it in my face if it'd failed…" I start to say something, but I cut myself off. What am I supposed to say? That maybe he's changed? He just tried to pay me to break up with her… I sigh and rub her back.

"You don't have to talk to him. You've only been suspended. That doesn't mean you have to leave with him. You have a car, remember?" She pulls away, eyes wide.

"You're right! I can just leave." She digs through her pockets for a moment before groaning. "My keys are in my bag… Damn it, and my phone..."

"Hang on, I'll text Beck and see if he can bring your stuff." She leans against the door and cuts a roll of paper towels with her scissors while I text Beck and while we wait for him. It helps her relax and I make a note of that just as there's a knock at the door. I open it after taking a peek and let Beck into the room.

"Hey, I brought everything, even your stuff, Tori. What happened?" I hand Jade her things and I struggle to figure out how to explain it to him but Jade speaks up.

"My dad's here." Beck seems to fully understand as he becomes more serious.

"You're leaving, right?"

"Yeah, got suspended over punching that bitch of a cheerleader too, so I won't be back for a few days." Jade makes sure she has everything before heading to the door. "Do me a favor and watch out for Tori while I'm gone, okay?" He agrees and gives her a hug before moving so she can leave. She quickly makes her way to the main entrance and Beck gives me a nudge.

"I know ditching isn't your thing, but go with her, just for today. She's going to need someone to talk to." I look at him and nod. He's got a point. I can't just leave her alone…

"Okay. Tell everyone I'll see them tomorrow!" I grab my thing, jog out of the closet, and look over my shoulder, giving Beck a quick wave as he heads back to class. When I'm not paying attention, I slam into someone and fall on my ass. "Son of a bitch…" I rub my sore rear and look up, stiffening when I meet the eyes of Mr. West. He glares down at me as he smooths out his suit. "Sorry…" I push myself back to my feet and start to walk away when my wrist is grabbed.

"Stop. Where is Jade?" My skin crawls and I try to pull away.

"I don't know. Let me go." He scowls and tightens his grip so much that it starts to hurt, pulling me closer and making me look him in the eye.

"I'm not leaving without her. Now tell me where she is." I try to pull away again but he's really strong… As a last resort, I kick him as hard as I can in the shin and he quickly lets go, doubling over in pain.

"Stay away from Jade!" I snatch my bag off the ground and take off running, bursting through the main doors. I run as fast as I can towards the parking lot and see Jade walking to her car. She looks over her shoulder when she hears me coming and starts to smile.

"Came to say goodbye?" I shake my head and grab one of her hands, out of breath from running so fast.

"I'm coming with you…"

"But…"

"Jadelyn! Get your ass over here right now!" She stops and grips my hand tight as I turn around. Mr. West has come outside and just spotted us. Damn it, he's persistent… I turn back to her and grab her keys.

"No time to explain! Let's go!" I pull her with me as we run to her car and I unlock the door as fast as I can. She doesn't protest as I push her into the passenger side and I run to the driver's side, getting in. Her father is running towards her car and just before he reaches us, I'm backing up and speeding out of the parking lot.

"Fucking hell…" I sigh, driving in the direction of Jade's house. That was scarier that that movie we watched… My heart is racing and my grip on the steering wheel is so tight, my knuckles are white. I glance over at Jade and see her hunched over some, holding her bag, with her eyes closed. She's not as freaked out as she was before, but that might be because we're now a fairly good distance away from her dad. I reach over and take one of her hands in mine and give it a squeeze, getting a softer squeeze in return.

"Thank you…" I bring our joined hands up and kiss hers, smiling some.

"You would have done the same for me. Now let's get you home."

* * *

Jade finally lifts her head, looking out the window as we get to her house, and she grips her bag tighter. There are two other cars here so her mom's must be home. Jade sees the cars too and she's getting out before I've even shut car off. I grab my things and follow her up the path and into the house after locking the car.

"Mom?!" She runs inside, looking in each room for her mother. Loud footsteps can be heard from one side of the house as both of Mrs. West and Rachel come running down the stairs. They run towards us and Jade immediately grabs her mother in a tight hug. My throat feels tight as I watch them and I shut the door and set everything down.

"I just got off the phone with your principal… I'm so sorry, honey. He shouldn't have gone to your school. He's getting one hell of a phone call from me."

"Helen said she couldn't reach you, so she called him… You promised me you'd never turn your phone off, ever, in case I had to reach you." She sounds so hurt that it breaks my heart and makes me want to cry. Mrs West strokes her hair and hugs her tighter.

"I was in a meeting at work and I had to turn it off. I'm sorry, sweetheart..." Rachel comes over to me and surprises me with a hug.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Tori. It means the world to me knowing she has someone looking out for her." I nod and return the hug, smiling some from how much Jade's stepmom truly loves her. I pull away from the hug and swipe a stray tear from my eye.

"She's not going to get in trouble for being suspended, is she…?" Rachel shakes her head.

"No. Your principal told us what happened, and after that run in with her father, she's dealt with enough."

"Good…" I watch as Jasmine leads Jade into the kitchen and jump a little when Rachel links her arm through mine and pulls me along after them.

"You girls must be starving. Let's get you something to eat." I'm about to tell her I'm fine, but my stomach starts growling at the thought of food. That's right, I missed breakfast and lunch was ruined by a bunch of ganks…

"Something to eat sounds like a plan to me." Rachel chuckles as we walk over to the fridge. Together, we put together lunch for the four of us and bring it to the table. Sandwiches, fruit, chips, and juice and I'm nearly drooling at the sight of it. Jade is sitting on the floor, petting Gypsy, when we sit down at the table. She looks over at us and stands, brushing off her pants and washing her hand after. She's calm, but her expression seems almost forced, and I know she's still incredibly stressed out. I walk over to her as she's drying her hands and take the towel from her. Before she can ask me what I'm doing, I'm holding her in a hug. Only a few seconds go by before she's hugging me back and I hear her sigh, relaxing in my arms.

"Thanks, Tori." I pull back and give her a smile.

"Time to relax, okay?" She nods but her expression doesn't change.

"Okay." I lift her chin and make eye contact with her, slowly crossing my eyes until she starts giggling and pushing me away. "You're such a dork." There's that smile… I chuckle and kiss her forehead before taking one of her hands.

"Yeah, but I'm your dork." She smiles more, shaking her head and we walk back to the table together, ready to eat.

We spend the next couple of hours just talking about everything that happened today and Jasmine and Rachel are not happy about what lead to Jade punching Missy in the face.

"I'm not happy that you hit her first, but I'm proud of you for standing up for Tori." Jasmine hands Jade a cup of coffee and she definitely relaxes more after a few sips. "What about you, Tori. Are you okay?"

"I'm pissed off, but I guess it could be worse." Rachel grabs my arm, looking at it.

"What about this?" She inspects my wrist and I notice some purple bruising wrapped around it. I never even noticed that...

"Damn… That happened right before we left. I bumped into her father and he grabbed my arm to keep me from leaving. Kept asking me where Jade was, but I was not telling him." Rachel pulls out her phone and takes a picture of it before letting go. I pull my arm back and glance over at Jade. She looks angry, but her mom puts a hand on her shoulder to keep her calm.

"He chased after us while we were getting in my car. Tori really came through for me there. Even drove my car." That surprises Rachel and she looks at me with wide eyes.

"You drove her car?! She won't even let _me_ drive it, and I bought the damn thing." She laughs. I dig through my pockets, remembering something, and pull out her keys. I hand them back to her and she chuckles.

"You're lucky that I wasn't in my right mind, or I would have been mad. Nobody drives my baby, but me." She pockets the keys and then looks me over for a moment. "Wait, I thought you didn't have a license."

"I finally got it a couple months ago. I just never said anything because I thought everyone would laugh at me for having my license but no car."

"Doesn't your sister have a car? Just drive hers."

"She's always out. I'd never have the car when I really need it." I shrug. "I'm just glad I finally got the driving test done and over with."

"Took you long enough." She smirks and yawns, rubbing her eyes.

"Tired?" She nods, finishing her coffee.

"Why don't you take a nap, sweetheart." Jasmine rubs her back and strokes her hair.

"A nap at 3 o'clock in the afternoon? Maybe… I definitely feel like I need to rest after today." Jade looks at me and smiles. "Wanna join me for a nap?" I chuckle, nodding.

"That actually sounds pretty good." Jade gets up and sets her mug in the sink and after a few hugs all around, Jade and I head downstairs to her room with Gypsy following us. Jade's quick to take off her shoes and hop into the bed. She sighs as she gets under the covers and Gypsy lays down at the foot of the bed, getting comfy. I smiles and get under the covers too as soon as I take my shoes off.

"The upside to being suspended, I get to sleep in and not worry about being late for school." I laugh and push her playfully, making her laugh too.

"Oh shut up." She grins and holds her arms open. I pretend to think it over before scooting closer and resting against her, sighing. "This is nice…" I feel her hand in my hair and it makes me feel very sleepy.

"You better enjoy it, Vega. I don't normally cuddle."

"Trust me, I definitely enjoy it. I like cuddling." She chuckles softly and I feel it shake the bed slightly. I lay my head on her shoulder and close my eyes, listening as her breathing slows down. Her hold on me loosens slightly and that's when I realize she's fallen asleep. Good… She needs the rest… I stifle a yawn and let myself fall asleep too. After a nap, I'll be ready to put the events of today behind me.

* * *

-3 hours later-

My phone starts going off and I sit up, groaning as I stretch. I grab my phone off the bedside table and answer it, clearing my throat before talking.

"Hello?"

"Tori, where the hell have you been?!" I wince and move the phone away from my ear when my dad starts yelling.

"Sorry… I'm at Jade's house…"

"So you skipped school to go to your girlfriend's house? You do realize that the school called me as soon as you didn't show up to class, right?"

"I… Sorry…Something happened at school and didn't really think it through. I just kinda left… Please don't be mad, I really can explain everything… You know I wouldn't do it if I didn't have good reason too." I hear him sigh heavily and hope he'll give me a chance.

"Fine, just get home and we'll talk this over." I sigh, really grateful that he's willing to listen.

"Alright, I'll head out now and I should be home soon. Bye Dad." We hang up and I run my hands through my hair, pulling it out of my eyes. I glance over at Jade before carefully sliding out of bed.

"Hey…" I turn around just as I'm grabbing my shoes and see Jade looking over at me, half asleep and fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Hey, sorry for waking you." I sit on the edge of the bed and start pulling my shoes on while she watches me.

"You're leaving…?"

"Yeah, my dad wasn't happy that I skipped school." I chuckle, tying the laces. "But he said we can talk about it so hopefully I can talk my way out of being grounded." She chuckles and yawns, stretching.

"I hope you can too… I'll drive you home…" She starts to sit up but I push her back down.

"No, you go back to sleep. It's not that far and I know you're still tired."

"But it's getting dark…" Her eyes start drooping as sleep begins to overpower her.

"It's fine. Go back to sleep. I'll call you when I get home." She sighs and snuggles deeper into her pillow, finally closing her eyes.

"Okay… I love you…" My heart leaps a bit and my face burns red at those three words but I can't help but smile. I lean down and peck her lips, whispering softly against them.

"Love you too…" I wait until I'm certain she's sleeping again before grabbing my bag and heading upstairs. I don't see Jade's mom's anywhere so I leave a note on the table to explain why I left, just in case Jade was too tired to remember what I said, and then I head out, walking to the nearest bus stop.

An hour later and I'm walking along the sidewalk, pissed as hell. Not only did I lose my wallet, but it's cold and I didn't wear a jacket today… I look at my phone every so often to make sure I'm going the right way because I'm in an unfamiliar area. It has taken forever to get this far already and Dad is going to be so mad when I'm finally home… I'd really rather piss him off more by calling for a ride and then explaining that my wallet is gone… I'm fairly close to home now and I just need to cut through this park to hit my street, so hopefully it won't be too much longer.

"Hey!" I jump at the voice and turn, looking across the park. Three girls who look about my age come jogging over and I take a step back when I notice that one of them have a bat. They look like Northridge girls, so I really should be careful, but before I can think to run, I'm surrounded by all of them.

"Look, if you want to rob me, you're too late. I already lost my wallet." The taller one, who I can only assume is the leader, looks me over as she smokes a cigarette.

"You're Tori Vega, right? I've been looking everywhere for you." She knows who I am? Maybe she found my wallet...

"Have we met before?" She smirks, looking at her friends and nodding to them. One of them grabs one of my arms and pins them behind my back while the other grabs my legs and pulls them out from under me, causing me to fall to the ground.. "What the hell?! Let go of me!" I struggle against them but a foot is brought right into my stomach. It knocks all the air out of me and there's a hand in my hair, yanking my head back up. I yell in pain but a large piece of tape is slapped over my mouth. The tip of the bat is pressed against my chest and I look at the main girl as she kneels down in front of me, blowing smoke in my face before flicking the cigarette away.

"I heard what happened at your school. You got my cousin in trouble with the principal and your little girlfriend put her filthy hands on her." Did Missy send her cousin after me? My eyes widen in fear and I try to break loose, but they've planned for this and zip-tied my wrist and ankles. What am I going to do?! I can't get away and I can't call for help… I'm trapped. "When we're through with you, you'll stay the hell away from her, otherwise it'll be even worse next time.." The next thing I see is her fist coming right at my face before everything goes black.


	13. Search and Rescue

**A little late for Xmas, but I had to make sure it was just right. I hope you all had a good holiday and got everything you wanted! I should have the next chapter by next year! (Yes. I made that joke. And yes, I'm ashamed.) Love you all! 3 -Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Search and Rescue

(Jade)

I'm having one of the best dreams about me and Tori. We're smack in the middle of one of my favorite video games and I've just rescued her. Right when where about to kiss, I'm being pulling out of the dream by someone shaking my shoulder.

"Jade, wake up." I swat at the person shaking me awake and grumble.

"What?!" I sit up and glare at Rachel as she holds out my phone.

"You left this upstairs and it's been ringing for a while now." I snatch it from her and look through the caller ID as I rub my eyes. Trina called me 9 times? I look around and realize Tori isn't here.

"Where's Tori? Her psycho sister been calling me."

"She left a while a go while you were sleeping and we were upstairs watching a movie, there was a note that said her father called her home." She left? Then why is Trina calling _me_? I get a sinking feeling in my stomach and look down at my phone. Tori… I dial Trina's number and get up, pacing back and forth as it rings.

"Jade, why the hell weren't you answering my calls?!"

"I was sleeping. Where's Tori?"

"She's not there?! Damn it…" She yells out to someone, probably her parents, and tells them she's not with me. "My dad told her to come home over two hours ago, Jade, and she's not home yet."

"Shit… Okay, I'll go and drive around. She probably got lost, right?"

"She better have only gotten lost… Call me if you find her." She hangs up before I can say anything else and I shove my phone in my pocket, grabbing my shoes right after.

"Tori didn't get home and her family's freaking out."

"I'll get your mother and we'll help you look for her." Rachel starts heading upstairs, calling for Mom

"I don't need…" I stop myself. 3 people would be faster than just 1… And I really need to find Tori. "Alright, thank you. I'm leaving now so just call me if either of you find her."

"Put a jacket on. It's raining." I grab my jacket when she asks, tugging it on as I run upstairs. Mom asks me where I'm going and I nearly run into Mitch, but I'm super focused right now. I'm out the door and sprinting the car to avoid getting too wet. I grumble and shake the water from my hair before driving off. Vega, I swear to God… You better be okay…

I drive all around my neighborhood for 30 minutes and I don't see her anywhere. I've checked all of the main and back roads, but she's nowhere. I get stuck at a red light and get frustrated, slamming my hands on the steering wheel and swearing.

"Fuck!" I'm getting more and more worried by the second. I keep calling Tori's phone, but it goes straight to voicemail every time. I pull over and text Mom and Rachel, asking them if they've seen any sign of her. Mom is driving around the city and Rachel is in Tori's neighborhood, but neither have seen her yet. Where the hell could she be? She couldn't have just gotten lost…she'd have called someone by now. Unless her phone died…which would explain why it's going to voicemail... God damn it… Why didn't she wake me up? _Did_ she wake me up? I think I remember talking to her about something, but was it that she was leaving, or did I dream all of it? She is going to get an earful from me for not getting a ride home, when I find her…

I start driving again and head towards Tori's place. She's got to be somewhere and I just have to keep looking… When I get close to Tori's house, I see an ambulance and police car speed past me, going the way I just came, and something tells me to follow it. That's just coincidental, right…? It has to be for something else… I shake my head and keep driving towards her house until that little voice in the back of my head wins. I make a hard U turn, driving a few cars behind them. I just need to be sure… I keep following them until we reach a local park. There's a small crowd of people as they watch the paramedics hurry onto the field. Did some kid just get hurt? I just drove all the way here for nothing… I swear under my breath and start leaving when I see the paramedics bringing back a stretcher with someone on it. I catch a glimpse of long brown hair and I get that sinking feeling back in my stomach. As soon as I get a better view, I'm out of the car in an instant and running towards them. A police officer grabs me and stops me from getting any closer and I beg him to let me go.

"No! That's my girlfriend! Her name's Tori Vega! Let me see her, please!" He tries to calm me down but I don't want to calm down. I want Tori. "Tori! Can you hear me?! Tori!" I squint to see through the pouring rain and watch as they lift her into the ambulance. The officer pulls me back so they can leave and I stop fighting against him.

"Wait. Tori Vega? The Chief's kid?" I nod and manage to get him to let go. "Fuck…" The cop turns to his partner after letting me go and sighs heavily. "Vasquez, we have one hell of a call to make…" I start going to the ambulance but they're already pulling out. I need to get back to my car and follow them.

"Jade!" I turn and see Rachel running towards me, the front of her shirt streaked with blood, and she's been crying.

"Ma! What happened to Tori?!" She has her arms wrapped around herself, like she's having trouble keeping herself together and I feel tears burning in my eyes.

"She's hurt bad… Some kids waved me down when I was driving and they told me they saw someone being attacked… Jade…she doesn't look good…" I hold my head in my hands as I try to figure out whether this is real or not.

"I… I need to go… I need to get to the hospital." I run back to my car and get in, shoving the key into the ignition. Rachel is already getting into her car but I'm peeling out of there before she can even start her car. I tail the ambulance as close as I'm legally allowed to, and while I drive, I frantically dial Trina's number. She answers on the first ring and still sounds pissed.

"Trina! I don't have time to explain! I don't even have the full story yet, but you and your folks need to get to the hospital, now! Tori's hurt and I'm on my way there right now!"

"What?! Jade, I swear to God, if this is your fault, I'm going to-" I hang up and toss my phone in the back of the car. I can't deal with that right now. I need to get to Tori. I park close to the entrance and hurry over to the ambulance as they bring her out.

"Oh God… Tori…" She's motionless on the stretcher and she looks unconscious. That might be a good thing though, looking at her injuries… There's so much blood…and she looks bruised all over… Her face is all bloodied and bruised and there are cuts and scrapes everywhere… I stumble back and clutch at my chest as my heart beats harder from seeing her this badly hurt. I've seen Tori when she broke both her arms climbing that stupid wall at the Gorilla Club, but this? This is fifty times worse... I'm afraid to move but her arms lifts and I'm suddenly at her side as she starts to wake up. "Tori! I'm right here! Can you hear me?!" I hold her hand and run alongside the stretcher as she's brought inside. Her grip on my hand tightens and her eyes start closing.

"Jade… My leg hurts…" My eyes trail down her body and I see the heavy black brace on her leg. It doesn't look good…

"They're gonna fix you up Tor… They'll take care of you…" I'm pulled away from the stretcher and told I can't go further, and I don't even fight it. "Please help her…" I call after them as they hurry though the double doors. I just stand there, looking at the doors she went through, and feeling completely numb. I don't know what to do. I don't think there's anything I can do, except for hoping that she'll be okay. Someone had to have done this to her… There's no way this was an accident, but why Tori? There's nothing she could have done to ever deserve this…

"Where is my daughter?!" I look over my shoulder and see Tori's parents and sister standing at the front desk. I approach them hesitantly and tap Mr. Vega on the shoulder to get his attention. They turn to look at me and they both have looks of gratitude, but Trina's worried expression turns to one of anger as she get in my face.

"What happened to Tori, Jade? How bad is she?"

"She doesn't look good…" She shoves me back and then gets in my face again.

"Why did you just let her leave?!"

"I didn't-" I'm pushed back again.

"Why didn't you drive her home?!"

"I was sleeping… She should have woken me up…" And again, she shoves me.

"So this is her fault then! That's what you're getting at, right?!"

"Th-that's not what I meant! I-" I'm met with a sharp slap across the face and I stumble back, looking at Trina in shock. That's the second time she's slapped me…and I feel like I deserve this one even more than the first… I start to say something, anything, to defend myself, but I can't get the words out. They're stuck in my throat and all I want to do is cry, and that's exactly what I do. I fall to my knees and hold my head in my hands, unable now to hold back my tears. There's a pain that won't go away, like it's deep in my soul. Tori, _my Tori_ , got hurt, and I could have prevented it... Someone hurt her to this extent and I couldn't do anything about it. While I was sleeping, safe in my bed, she was subjected to God knows what and I couldn't protect her. What good am I to her if I can't keep her safe?

"Jade…" My erratic thoughts are cut short by two hands on my shoulders and when I lift my head, I see Trina kneeling and staring at me with tears flooding her own eyes. I inhale sharply and try to reign in my emotions but I just can't. I have no control over them right now and before I realize it, I'm hugging Trina and bawling into her shoulder like a baby.

"I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have gone to sleep… I should have just stayed up with her and now Tori's-"

"Shh…" Trina has to help me to my feet so we're not in the way of other people. She brings me to a chair while her parents talk to the receptionist and try to get more information on Tori.

"I'm so sorry, Trina… I never meant for any of this to happen…"

"It's not your fault… I'm…sorry I hit you… I'm just scared and angry, and I don't handle that well, especially right now…" She sighs and rubs her eyes. I lean back in my seat, holding the towel Mrs. Vega found for me, and try to keep from crying again.

It's not long before Rachel and Mom arrive and Rachel must have stopped back home because she's changed her shirt. She still looks shaken up and she explains to Tori's parents what happened when she found her. When those younger kids got her to stop her car, they explained that someone was getting beaten up and the scary people chased them away. Rachel took off in the direction they told her and that's when she found them, three girls who looked almost college age and Tori lying on the ground while one of them was hitting her with a baseball bat. She pulled that one away from her and they took off running before she could stop them. She turned back to Tori and broke her loose of some zip ties that they used to keep her from running, and untaped her mouth. She said Tori was crying and asking for her family...even me.

Rachel breaks down in tears and my mom has to hold her to keep her steady.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't get to her sooner." Mr. Vega is pacing back and forth, and Mrs. Vega has one hand over her mouth as she cries. I'm just sitting there, a hand on Trina's arm as I take it all in. Who would have beat her up like that? Were they robbing her?

"Excuse me. You all are here for Tori Vega, correct?" We all look up at a nurse that came over and Tori's parents are all over her, demanding to see her. The nurse explains that she's being brought to a room in the intensive care unit and that she'll be able to have visitors once she's settled. Then she get to the harder part, explaining everything wrong with her. 2 broken ribs, bruised all over, a bruised lung and a broken leg. They say she'll have to be here for a few weeks just for the bruised lung alone…

The nurse gets the go ahead to let people see her but only 3 people at a time to avoid crowding and overwhelming her in she wakes up. Mom goes with Tori's parents and Rachel sits on my other side. Trina's too scared to see her right now and she has the tightest grip on my arm. Any other day, I would have blown up in her for even touching me, but I'm in the same boat right now as I hold Rachel's hand. It seems to be helping the both of us and I'm not letting go anytime soon… About 45 minutes go by before Mom comes back with Tori's parents, and they all look like they've been crying again. Trina stands and pulls me with her, while I pull Rachel, as we go up to them. Trina asks if Tori's awake, which I'm grateful for but I'm afraid to hear the answer. They all share the same look and shake their heads as Mom puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Just…brace yourself when you see her, honey…" I swallow hard and follow Trina as the nurse leads the three of us to Tori's room. The nurse gives us a moment to prepare before opening the door and letting us in. My feet don't want to move. I'm stuck standing at the door as Trina lets go of my hand and runs to her sister.

"Tori… Oh my God…" She starts crying again and has to lean against the wall to keep from sinking to the floor. Rachel hasn't left my side and I know I'm squeezing the hell out of her hand.

Tori's laid out on the bed, hooked up to several machines, and looking paler than me under all the bruising. She looks like she was hit by a car… Rachel puts an arm around my shoulder and slowly guides me into the room. The nurse checks all of the monitors and writes something down on her chart, and then pushes some buttons on of the machines, which seems to be an Oxygen machine.

"She going to have to stay here for a while, on Oxygen, until the bruising on her lung heals. That usually takes about 2-3 weeks." I reach a shaky hand out and gently place it on Tori's head, slowly stroking her hair. The nurse places another blanket over Tori before getting our attention. "She's going to need rest more than anything, but I promise, she looks worse than she really is. She's just sleeping now, and should be up in about an hour or so. She's extremely lucky that someone found her before anything else happened." Rachel tenses up and I look at her, seeing fresh tears in her eyes. "I'll give you all some time alone, just push the call button if anything changes." She leaves, shutting the door, and we sit by the bed, Trina on one side and me on the other with Rachel next to me.

I hold one of Tori's hands while Trina holds the other and we stay like this for a while, taking turns just talking to her.

"I really hope you wake up soon, Tori… I need to know you're going to be okay…" Trina whispers to her, rubbing her own eyes. "I'm going crazy worrying and Jade looks like she's going to have an aneurysm…" She looks over at me and gives me a small smile which I return, shaking my head. I lean in and press my lips to Tori's hand, holding it to my cheek after.

"We were all worried about you, Vega… You gotta wake up for us. Hell, when you do, I'll figure out a way to sneak your mutt in here so you can see him…" I sigh and lower my head, wiping tears from my eyes. The medicine is taking forever to wear off…

"I think... I need to get something to drink… Do you girls want anything…?" I look over at Rachel as she grabs some money out of her purse. Trina looks at her, nodding.

"I'll take some juice, if that's okay." Rachel nods and looks to me.

"What about you, sweetheart? Do you want some coffee?" I shake my head, looking back to Tori.

"I don't want coffee… I just want to see Tori wake up…" She sighs, kissing the top of my head.

"We just need to be patient. She's only sleeping, and that's a good thing. It could have been worse…" She chokes up, backing away. "I'll… I'll be right back…" She hurries out and shuts the door after she leaves.

"She's really torn up about this…and she's not even related to her."

"Rachel's a very empathetic person." I say, defensively. "She hates seeing other people hurt. Being the one to find Tori in the state she was in couldn't have helped…"

"Sorry, I just… I'm stressed and worried…"

"I know…" Trina sighs and starts to let go of Tori's hand when she suddenly jumps, holding it tight again. "What? What happened?"

"She squeezed my hand… It was soft, but I felt it…" I feel my heartbeat quicken as I sit up, giving Tori's hand a light squeezed. There's nothing for a moment but then… There it is! A light squeeze.

"We're right here, Tori…" There's another squeeze, a stronger one, and the heart monitor is speeding up just slightly. I start worrying that something is wrong when there's a much stronger squeeze around my hand and I hear coughing. My eyes are glued to Tori's face as I watch her eyelids slowly flutter.

"Tori…" Trina stands up and leans towards her touching her cheek. Tori's eyes open more at the contact and she looks around, confusion and pain in her eyes. "You're in the hospital, Tori. They say you're going to be okay, you just need a lot of rest…" She looks at Trina and me, her mouth moving, but only whispers come out and we have to lean closer to hear her.

"M-my leg h-hurts…" Tears fill her eyes and I stroke her hair to calm her.

"I'll get your nurse and she can give you more meds. Then you can rest some more, okay?" She nods and relaxes as I push the call button. Her nurse comes in after a few minutes and is really happy to hear that she woke up. She gives Tori a dose of pain medicine and it helps her calm more once it starts working.

"She's awake…" Rachel smiles big and sets the juice bottles down. She looks really relieved and she leaves to tell Tori's parents.

When they come in, the nurse makes an exception for there being more than three people in here. Mr. Vega is ecstatic that she's awake and is ready to lock up the ones who hurt her.

"Tori… Do you remember anything about what happened?" We all look at him and then back to Tori. We were all wanting to know the same thing, but were too focused on making sure she was okay. Tori adjusts her bed so she can sit up a little and nods, looking paler again.

"Yeah… It has to be... because of Missy… a girl from school… I think she sent her cousin...after me…" She holds her chest, taking slow deep breaths through the Oxygen mask. I rub her arm, concerned.

"So this is all because of Missy?"

"We'd need more proof than that… We can investigate, but this happened in the park and there aren't any cameras there…" Mr. Vega sits beside Tori's bed and strokes her hair, but Tori stops him.

"My shirt… I head-butted her and… gave her a nasty nosebleed… Can you use that…?" He jumps out of his chair and whips out his phone.

"I can!" He runs out the room, making a call, and Tori laughs. Or…tries to. She ends up coughing right after and I'm ahead of her, putting the mask back on.

"Deep breaths, Tor…" She does as I day and takes slow, deep, breaths.

"I hate this…"

"I know…" She sighs and looks up at me, smiling after a moment.

"So you really…don't remember when…I woke you up?"

"I don't… I'm sorry Tori…" She reaches up and puts a finger over my lips to stop me.

"Shhh… Come here…" She reaches up and cups the side of my face, pulling me down to her. I do as she asks and lean down. She pulls off her mask and sits up just enough to touch her lips to mine before pressing our cheeks together. "I love you…" My breath catches in my throat as she whispers in my ear, her words triggering a memory. I woke up and told her I loved her… right before she left… I carefully move my arms to hold her as best as I can without hurting her and press my face into her hair, fresh tears spilling over.

"I love you too…"

* * *

We stay with Tori for as long as we can before the nurse finally tells us we have to go so she can rest. They made an exception to having all of us in the room because Tori practically begged her and her doctor, but now it's starting to get late and she needs to sleep. I don't want to leave, but I don't want to hinder her recovery either…

"I'll be here tomorrow, okay? As early as they'll let me in…"

"Just make sure…you get some rest, okay?" She smiles at me, half asleep from the medicine she's just been given.

"I will…" I smile and give her a kiss before moving so her parents can say their goodbyes. Mr. Vega came back almost an hour, informing us that an all out investigation is happening now, and that with the help of his forensics team and the attackers blood on Tori's shirt, they'll catch the ones who hurt her. Was it really that bitch's cousin? I should have punched her harder, but what if that would have made it worse? Would they have done worse to her? I hope they get caught… They don't deserve to be walking free after what they did.

I stand by the door with my moms and wait until everyone is ready to go. She's giving hugs and smiling like nothing happened. She's even looking a little better now. Her breathing is still rough, but it's improving, and her doctor said she should be back to speaking in full sentences by tomorrow. He did bring up that she'd be on Oxygen for a few weeks and she wasn't happy about that. She complained non-stop about missing all of her classes until I finally promised to go to all of her classes and get any work she'd miss while being here. Perfect Student Vega at her finest.

"Feel better, honey… We'll see you tomorrow." Mrs. Vega gives her a hug before hurrying out, nearly in tears again. She's been super emotional… She's got to be really relieved that Tori's going to be okay, and still pretty upset that she got hurt in the first place… Tori watches her mother leave and she looks sad, but Trina says something to her and gets her to smile.

Everyone starts to go soon after until it's just me and Tori in the room with Rachel holding the door, waiting for me. Tori just smiles and waves for me to go.

"You'll see me tomorrow… Go… get some sleep…" I sigh, rubbing my neck.

"I-if you need anything, call me, okay?" She chuckles and stifles a cough after.

"You'll be the…first person I call…"

"I love you…" I bite my lip, really not wanting to leave.

"I love you too…" She yawns and closes her eyes, finally letting the meds do their job. Rachel grabs my arm and I let her pull me out. When she's closed the door. I hug her immediately, unable to fight my tears any longer. Rachel doesn't even say anything. She just holds me until I've gotten it all out of my system.

"I don't want to leave, Momma… I don't want to be away from her…"

"I know…but she needs to get some rest, and so do you." She's right, and I hate it… I rub my eyes and take a step back, sniffling.

"Alright…" I take slow deep breaths until I've calmed, and then I run my hands through my hair. "Did you and Mom bring both cars…?" She rubs my back as we start walking and the soothing motion helps me feel better.

"No. After you left the park, I went back home to change and your mom came and picked me up." I nod, thankful, and dig through my pockets.

"I was hoping for that… Here…" I hand her my keys and ignore her surprised look. "I really don't want to drive… Can you take my car home for me? I'll ride with Mom. Please?" She's quiet for a moment before nodding.

"Alright. I'll be careful with her."

"You better." I chuckle and shove her lightly. She smiles and we walk outside, meeting up with Mom. We let her know about the driving arrangements before I get into her car and buckle up. I watch Rachel get into my car and can't help but laugh at the look on her face. It's like she won the lottery. Mom sees it too and laughs, letting her go before following.

"You made her really happy with that, you know."

"I thought it would make her feel better… That, and I'm just too tired to drive…" The look on her face when she found Tori still bothers me.

"That was really nice of you, honey. You never let anyone drive your car, Tori being an exception today." She chuckles, rolling up the windows and turning on the heat to cut the chill of the rain.

"That's because I love my car, but I love Rachel more. And I guess it _is_ only fair since she buy it for me." I smile and lean back in my seat. I'm exhausted, and starving and I just want today to be over so I can go see Tori again…

* * *

I sit up, gasping, and check myself all over before falling back onto my pillows.

"God damn it…" Another nightmare… That's the third one… I move my arm to cover my eyes and sigh. I wish I could text Tori… I just want to talk to her, but I know she's sleeping. It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning, so she better be sleeping. My throat feels dry so I decide to just get out of bed and go upstairs to grab some water.

I push things around in the fridge looking for a bottle of water when I come across a half full bottle of that fancy white wine Rachel likes. I've had a sip of it here and there with the both of them on New Year's before, and I like it better than the one Mom gets. I look at the bottle, turning it in my hand, and debate on whether or not I should have some. Maybe it will calm my nerves and help me finally get some sleep… I close the fridge and start looking for a glass when the light comes on and makes me jump. I hide the bottle behind me and turn towards the doorway, watching nervously as Rachel comes in.

"Jade." She walks up to me and holds out her hand, waiting. I look away and sigh, putting the bottle in her hand.

"Sorry… I-" She sets the bottle on the counter and grabs two glasses from the cabinets.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Jade. You're 18. Just...don't tell your mother, okay?" She pours a glass for me and herself, sliding my glass across the counter.

"Thanks…" I pick up the glass and take a sip, leaning against the counter. Rachel drinks hers a little faster and she's already refilling her glass by the time I'm halfway through mine. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" She nods and relaxes after taking a drink.

"It'll been a hell of a day, JJ…"

"You can say that again, Momma…" I down the rest of my wine before I pour myself another. Rachel chuckles and I glance over at her while taking a drink. "What's so funny?"

"That's the second time you've called me Momma. You haven't done that in a really long time. Usually, it's just 'Ma', or Rachel when something is bothering you."

"Oh…" I feel my face heat up as I look away, taking a sip of my wine. "It just felt right, I guess. 'Ma' is too casual, and I'm not pissed." I smile, shaking my head.

"At least you haven't gone back to calling me 'That Lady'. That one drove me nuts." I laugh, remembering.

"Could you blame me? I didn't know you well and at the time, I guess I didn't want to."

"I could tell." She grins. "You liked my dog more than you liked me. I think I spent more time trying to get you to like me than I spent dating your mom. I thought nothing would work."

"Then you took me to my first horror movie." She bumps me, laughing.

"I didn't take you, you snuck out when we were watching Mulan, and we spent over an hour looking for you."

"Oh yeah, the spanking I got after that was definitely worth it. Halloween H20 was my favorite movie until I watched The Scissoring."

"At least we finally found something to bond over. The look on your mom's face when she found out I was taking you to see horror movies was priceless."

"She made you sleep in the den for a week." I point out, finishing my glass of wine.

"Definitely worth it." She does the same and then looks at her glass, then the bottle.

"Two glasses are probably enough, right?" I nudge her, chuckling, and set mine in the sink. "I've already got a buzz." She smirks, shaking her head.

"Light weight." She washes the glasses and dries them, putting back in the cabinet after. "You should head back to bed. Wanna be well rested when you go see Tori."

"I've been trying…" I sigh, rubbing my neck. "I keep having the same nightmare where we didn't find her in time and it just felt too real…"

"You just have to keep telling yourself that she's safe, and being taken care of. "

"Yeah…but it's not easy." I frown, crossing my arms.

"It's not going to be at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets."

"I'll try…" I start heading towards my room but I stop, looking back at Rachel as she puts the wine away. I turn back around and give her a tight hug from behind. "Thanks, Momma… I love you" I feel her chuckle and turn to hug me back..

"I love you too, baby. I'll see you in the morning." She kisses my forehead and I let her go, heading down to my room after a wave. Okay, time for sleep… Just a few hours and then I can see Tori. I'll spend my whole day with her if they let me… I get comfy under the blankets and lay on my side, petting Gypsy as she lays with me.

"I'm gonna need all the help I can get, girl…" I scratch her ears and her tail goes nuts, wagging fast and hard. "That's not gonna help, Gyp." I chuckle and close my eyes. With the wine, the talk with Rachel, and Gypsy here with me, I feel a lot better than I thought I would and after a little while, I finally fall asleep and dream of seeing Tori.

(Later that day)

"I'm so bored…" Tori pouts, staring at the TV. "There's nothing good on TV and nothing to do…"

"There's gotta be something you can do. Maybe I can take you outside for some fresh air." I've been trying to think of a way to keep Tori distracted for the past half hour , but she's getting antsy.

"I can't get out of bed without a nurse helping me and that'll take forever." She coughs and adjusts her mask. "Besides, I'm way too sore to be moving around." I text Rachel and ask her what's taking so long but I get no response.

"Okay, how about I call Cat and the guys once classes are over? They don't know you're here and they'll want to see you."

"Andre and Beck know. They called my phone this morning, asking why I didn't come to school." She grabs her phone and I notice how jacked up the screen looks.

"I'm surprised Beck didn't call me and freak out for not telling him." I take her phone and look it over. I can definitely fix it. I just need a new screen for it first.

"I told him not to. I didn't want him to call you in case you were sleeping. You would've been pissed if he woke you up." She laughs and I sigh, smiling.

"You're not wrong." I chuckle and set her phone back down. "Okay, so we have a few hours until school's out. We need something fun to do."

"Well, what if I-" There's a knock at the door and we look to see Rachel standing there, holding a backpack.

"Sorry that took so long. Traffic was a bitch." She hands me the bag and I immediately dig through it pulling out a hoodie. Tori looks confused.

"You had her bring you a hoodie?" I grin and start opening the box.

"Nope. I had Rachel bring something that'll keep you busy while you're stuck in bed." I pull the hoodie off my Nintendo Switch and grin, handing it to her. Her eyes get huge as she looks it over carefully.

"You're letting me borrow this?"

"Yup." I grin and pull some wires out of the bag and the docking station. "Even got everything you need to hook it up to the TV. If you wanna play Multiplayer."

"This is so cool. Thanks, Jade." She grins and I blush, smiling and shrugging it off.

"Anything for you, babe." I turn it on for her and help her make an account. "There's a bunch of games you can play, but I recommend Mario Kart."

"Because it's your favorite?" She smirks and I smirk back.

"Maybe."

I help set everything up with Rachel's help, after we make sure it's okay with the doctors. Rachel gives us both a hug before heading back home to take care of Gypsy and Tori and I get settled in a game. I hold back my competitiveness when we play, wanting Tori to have as much as possible, and compared to when we played at the arcade, she's actually pretty good. She humors me with Mario Kart, but after a while, I take a break and let her play some Skyrim while I watch. At least I won't have trouble keeping her busy for the next few weeks.


	14. Hospital Visits

**Wow… It's really been such a long time, hasn't it? I'm really sorry for abandoning the story like this guys. When I get writer's block, I end up not wanting anything to do with the story. I was so frustrated with myself that I could finish something as simple as a filler chapter. Eventually, so much time passed that I wondered if there was even a point in uploading a new chapter. Then I took a trip to Florida to visit some family and had a bit of a breakdown due to unrelated life problems. The main thing that pulled me out of that funk was working on this chapter as it gave me something else to focus on. I'm feeling much more clear headed now and am actually moving very soon to be closer to my father and Stepmom so hopefully all that old life stress will go away and I can feel like this all the time. Just know, I never once forgot about you guys and I promise to make it up to you all somehow. Thank you so much for taking the time to read all of my rambling, it really is appreciated… -MercyVale**

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Chapter Thirteen

Hospital Visits

(Jade)

( _One week later_ )

Tori's been recovering well since she was attacked. It hasn't been easy for her, but she has less pain now and her chest is healing fine. She doesn't need to be on Oxygen for as long she did at first. Now, she just has to wait for the rest of her injuries to heal before she can go home. Her dad was able to bring in the girls who attacked her after he brought Missy in to question her first. She swore she had nothing to do with it and eventually had to be let go, but her cousin came forward and said it really wasn't Missy's idea, that she only went after Tori because she was pissed at her for getting her cousin in trouble.

The plan had been to get both of us when we were alone together, but they'd caught Tori on her way home and went for it then and there. Not very smart of them to give away their motive to Tori though. Missy's cousin and the two other girls were locked up and awaiting trial, which happened a couple days after Tori was hurt. They were all charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and since they were over 18, they were charged as adults. Tori's dad wasn't pulling any punches when it came to the case. His daughter was hurt again, and this time, he could put away the people that did it for a long time.

No Juvie for them. They're off to real prison for 5 years, which still isn't enough in my opinion. I was ready to hurt somebody when they came into the courtroom and acted like they were going to walk free. I probably would have if Tori wasn't holding my hand, but I could see that the front she was putting up was gone. She acted as though everything was fine, but once she was face to face with those girls, her true feelings came forward and she looked on the verge of tears throughout the whole session.

The whole trial took its toll on her emotionally, which was understandable given the circumstances and she was terrified almost the whole time. Because the girls all signed a confession, there was no reason for Tori to testify or go onto the stand and be questioned. She didn't even have to go, but she wanted to. To face her fear, I guess, but that all went out the window the moment they stepped into the room. She had to relive the ordeal and I could see just how much it tore at her.

After the trial, she had to go back to the hospital and since then, she's been feeling really down. Her mood has been low for a few days since then, even with her meds, and she just hasn't been acting like her usual peppy self. What really started concerning me about her emotional state was when I came to visit her yesterday and she was watching some Jason movie on TV. She dropped her remote and never bothered to call a nurse to get it for her. She didn't seem scared, even during some of the more gruesome scenes. She just laid there, watching it and looking bored. Granted, I would have been bored too, but that's me. I live off of horror movies, Tori's always hated them. I can tell she's retreating into herself and letting her depression take control, it's something I went through myself after everything my father put me through, but I need to pull her out of it before it gets worse, and I've got a plan to fix that, something way better than just letting her use my game console.

"Do we have to go outside? I just want to sleep…" Tori gives me her pout as I help her into the wheelchair.

"You've been sleeping all day, Vega. You need fresh air and sunshine." I have a little bite in my tone, letting her know I'm not backing down on this, and comb her hair back into a ponytail before opening the door. "Come on, it's really nice out today."

"Fine…" She sighs and grabs a small blanket off the bed and tucks it over her lap.

"It's not cold today. It's actually pretty warm."

"You go outside in a hospital gown and _not_ feel exposed. If I have to go out, I want to be comfortable."

"Okay, okay. Fair enough." I chuckle and get behind her chair, pushing her out of the room. We pass a couple doctors and nurses on our way and they all wave to us. They all love Tori and have been doing a lot to help her feel better, physically and emotionally. The past couple days have been better, but she needs more. She's barely smiled at me..but that's going to change today.

We get outside and I bring her to the little garden area they have behind the hospital, right by a fountain. She looks around and leans over to touch the water before sighing.

"Woo, we came outside. Can I go back to bed now?" She looks at me and tries to use her pout, but it's not as effective when upside-down.

"Nope. You're going to enjoy the fresh air and sun, like I said. Besides, you're losing that tan of yours and I'm not having that." I give her a kiss on her cheek and lock the back of the wheelchair so she can't roll away.

"Jade… How am I supposed to enjoy myself when I can't even move around? I have nothing to do out here." She crosses her arms and looks at the fountain, frowning

"I just want to get you out of that stuffy room."

"I'd rather be home, in _my_ room…" I here a slight shake in her voice and I turn to stand closer to her, seeing a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Tori…" I kneel beside her and hold one of her hands. "I know you want to go home. Trust me, being stuck in a hospital sucks, but you'll be out of here soon, I promise. The doctors said your chest is looking better so who knows, maybe you'll get out early." She rubs her eyes.

"With my luck? Yeah, right…" I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Hey, if your luck was so bad, Rachel wouldn't have found you."

"I guess…" I brush the top of her hand with my thumb and think about everything that's happened in the past week, my own insecurities coming through. Her _luck_ wasn't this bad until...

I finally ask the question that's been on my mind since last Monday. I need to know...

"Do you regret letting people know about us? I mean, if they didn't find out, I wouldn't have gotten into a fight with Missy and you wouldn't have been jumped by her cousin and-"

"Jade." I look up at her and see her smiling at me, a real smile that I haven't seen since she woke up. "I regret nothing. I love you, now shut up." I'm so stunned by the way she said it, so sweet and with a smile, that I can't help but laugh.

"Sorry, I guess I feel bad for making you go through that and-"

"You're doing it again." She's right… I sigh and look down at out joined hands. I feel her place a hand on my head, stroking my hair, and I lean into her hand.

"I just can't get past this feeling of guilt. You keep telling me it's not my fault, but I can't see it any other way."

"Well, you're gonna have to try, because I'm the only one who should be sulking right now, and that's because I want to play Mario Kart." I chuckle and kiss her hand.

"You're such a pain in the ass."

"You always say that."

"Doesn't make it any less true." She grins, shaking her head. I smile back and stroke her hair slowly. "I love you, Tor."

"I love you too, Jade." She winks at me and I blush a little, standing and getting behind her chair. "Are we going back inside?"

"No, I still want you to relax out here for at least a little longer."

" _Fine_. But I'm still gonna complain about how bored I am." She crosses her arms and smirks up at me.

"Deal." I smile and kiss her forehead before pushing her around for a bit.

Not much time passes before I hear my phone go off, and when I check it, I grin. Here comes her real surprise. I can hear faint running coming from the path behind us and it gets louder as I turn her around.

"Why are we turning back? **Now** are we finally going back inside?" Tori looks around, bored and looking a little sleepy.

"Not quite." I smile and point ahead of us. "Do you see what I see?" She looks to where I'm pointing and her eyes get huge as she sits up in her chair, wide awake now.

"Jack!" Jack is running towards us, pulling Trina with him, and I have to stop him from jumping on her.

"Careful mutt, she's not ready for that yet." I get him to sit but he's really antsy and I can tell Tori is too. She has her hand on my shoulder and is trying to move around in the chair to get a better look at him. I let him go up to her and he rests his head on her lap, nuzzling her as she scratches his ears.

"Jack… I missed you so much, buddy…" She's completely in tears now and I can just see how happy she is to see him. I step back to give them some time together and am met with a punch to the arm. Not hard, but not entirely soft either. I wince and look at a smirking Trina, rubbing my arm.

"Why did _I_ have to bring him? You could have brought him and I could have been here with her. He listens to you better than me anyway." I grin, nudging her lightly with my elbow.

"Sorry, I didn't think he'd be that much trouble for you."

"Sure, you didn't." She pushes back, grinning.

"Bitch." I flick her arm, laughing.

"Psycho." She laughs too and tries to swat at me but I dodge her and stand behind Tori's chair. I have to say, as much as she drove me crazy, Trina and I really have bonded while taking care of Tori. Never thought _that_ would happen.

"You two are ruining my happy time with Jack." Tori looks up at me and grins as Jack moves around her, sniffing her cast.

"Sorry." I chuckle and lean down, kissing her forehead. She just shakes her head and looks back to Jack, scratching his chin when he puts his head back on her leg.

"They're both being silly, aren't they Bud?" She moves her hands to scratch his neck and she stops. I smile more, seeing that she's finally noticed it. She checks his collar and looks at the tags, reading them. She looks up at us and Trina shrugs, smirking at me. "Is this a brand new collar? And tags? Jade… Did you get this for him?" I feign confusion, trying hard not to grin.

"I have no idea where those came from, but that collar _does_ look very nice on him, doesn't it?" I chuckle, folding my arms. I watch as she inspects it further before smiling and shaking her head.

"You're too much sometimes." I smile and set a hand on her head.

"And you're worth it." I lean down and give her a kiss before giving her some space. "You two spend some time together and we'll sit over here for a bit, okay?" Tori nods and Trina hands her Jack's ball, following me when I sit on a bench.

"Even though I wish _I_ had thought of it first, you did pick out a good collar for Jack. It suits him." It _is_ a nice collar. Black leather, studs, and tags with his name and Tori's phone number and address.

"Thanks. It was mostly for him, but the look on Vega's face when she saw it was a bonus. I seriously owe that dog a lot. I mean, he's the whole reason Tori and I are together. If she didn't have him, I wouldn't have offered to go with her to the park and we wouldn't have gotten as close as we are now."

"Speaking of that day… You know about what happened to her, huh? She really trusts you, to tell you something that personal." Trina's voice is quiet and she's watching Tori as she plays with Jack.

"Yeah… She probably wouldn't have been so open about it, but I'd seen her scar and she freaked out really bad." I sigh and think about the panic attack she had, how scared she was. "I got her to calm down and she told me everything because she felt bad about reacting the way she did. I still can't believe some psychopath almost killed her…and even more that she killed him… How did she even know how to use the gun?"

"Tori used to be really good at those shooting games at carnivals. She'd win any prize she wanted. Now, she just avoids them whenever we go."

"It brings up bad memories…" I nod, looking over at Tori. "Can't blame her. That's not an easy thing to go through…" I pause for a moment, thinking. "Hey, that might be the same reason she's been so off moody lately."

"What do you mean?"

"She was in the hospital for a while after she was attacked by that man, right?" Trina nods. "Well, that was right after something traumatic happened to her, so being in the hospital now has got to be reminding her of that."

"You're right… That, with being attacked by those girls…It's like she's right back to where she started." She sighs, leaning back on her hands. "At least she has you, Cat, and the guys there for her, besides me and my parents. Back then, she had no one but us."

"What about her friends at her old school? They didn't come to visit her?" She shakes her head.

"No one came. She never told anyone what actually happened. She just said she'd gotten into an accident. The only ones who knew were her teachers, and that was because they had to be told. This was just after she'd broken up with her boyfriend Danny, so she didn't even have him there for her."

"I just don't get it. Why Tori? She's never deserved any of this."

"She's always been a magnet for danger, but it was always a situation where she knew something bad could happen and took the risk anyway."

"Like that time the cupcake float broke down and she went looking for the guys?"

"Okay one, it was your idea, and two, you practically pushed her out the door the second time so that doesn't count. I should still kick your ass for that."

"Oh yeah… Why didn't you stop her? Or me, for that matter?" Trina starts blushing and turns away from me.

"We...had an argument earlier that day… She was mad at me and wouldn't have listened to me anyway, and I wasn't about to piss you off and get kicked out of the cupcake."

"Yeah, that would have been funny." I chuckle, shaking my head. "To be fair, you were being crazy that day too. I mean, you managed to sneak into the float without anyone catching you, and then you bugged the hell out of everyone."

"It's what I'm good at." She shrugs, chuckling.

"Didn't she kick you in the mouth when you were hiding in that sack?" She suddenly throws her hands up.

"Oh my God! She swears she didn't and that my memory of it is all wrong! Finally, someone who remembers it too! Come with me!"

"Wait, I-" She grabs my wrist and pulls me with her over to Tori. I really hate being grabbed like that, but I'm seriously interested in where this is going.

"Tori! Remember when you kicked me in the face when we were stuck in the cupcake?" Tori audibly grumbles and tosses her head back.

"This again? I didn't kick you in the face, Trina."

"Yes, you did! You kicked me when I was hiding in a burlap sack, and now I have proof!" She pulls me into view and I give a nonchalant wave. "Jade mentioned it without me even bringing it up! If she remembers it, then it happened!"

"No way." I smirk, nodding.

"Sorry Vega, but I definitely remember that happening. Trina was hiding, started moving, and freaked you out so you kicked the sack she was in." Tori's quiet while Trina looks at her, smirking too. Almost a full minute passes before she says anything.

"I really did that?"

" **Yes**!" Trina looks like she just won the battle of her life and has this goofy grin on her face. "You kicked me and never apologized. God, I thought you were still really that mad at me and pretended to not know it was me in the sack."

"Mad?" She thinks for a moment and sighs. "Right, we fought that day. Maybe I **was** still mad at you."

"What argument could be so bad that you don't even apologize for accidentally hitting your sister?" I laugh, folding my arms. Tori starts blushing and doesn't make eye contact with me.

"Just a normal fight, that's all."

"A normal fight wouldn't have you all flustered, Tor." I grin and kneel by her, petting Jack.

"It's nothing."

"Jade…" Trina walks closer to us and sounds nervous.

"No, no. I'm genuinely curious now. What would get Miss Priss so mad? Was it over a dress? Shoes? An ex-boyfriend?" She scowls at me and pushes me away from her.

"I don't want to talk about it, alright!?" I look up, surprised, and stand.

"Whoa… I didn't mean to-"

"You just don't know when to shut up sometimes, do you?" She folds her arms and looks down, still scowling. "I want to go back to bed."

"Tori…" I place a hand on her shoulder.

"Now." She tenses up and I notice a slight wince as she reaches down to try and rub her leg through the cast. She's having pain again… I sigh and get behind her chair, ready to push. Trina hooks Jack to his leash and looks at me, sympathetic, before leaning over to whisper.

"It's a touchy subject with her. Please, don't push it any further." I swallow and nod, feeling really bad for bringing it up. Trina lets Jack go up to Tori one more time and she gives him a hug, kissing his nose after.

"Bye, bud… I'll be home soon, I promise…" Trina starts to leave and I bring Tori back inside as the obvious silent treatment starts to get to me. The doctors and nurses free her, but she only responds with a nod of her head, at least until we see her main doctor, Dr. Galloway. He stops to take a look at her before we get back to the room and sees that she upset and in obvious pain. He tells her the nurse will be there right away, to give her the pain meds and get her back into her bed.

Once in the room, the nurse and I help Tori get in bed before she puts the Oxygen tube back in and gives her a fresh dose of pain meds. I elevate Tori's bed the way she likes and start to sit next to her, but she stops me before I can.

"Jade, why don't you just head home. I'll just be sleeping and you'll just be bored." She yawns and pulls the blankets up. I shake my head and move my bag off the chair, sitting.

"I don't mind. Hell, I do this everyday, remember? Besides, I don't have anything else planned for today." She lets out a long sigh, rolling her eyes.

"Just go home Jade." I raise an eyebrow, feeling hurt. Does she just not want me here?

"I'll just stay until you're asleep.." She shrugs and turns her head away from me.

"Fine." She closes her eyes and studies around in bed before getting comfortable and it doesn't take long for the meds to kick in and knock her out. I let out a long sigh of my own and lean back in my seat, rubbing my eyes. I'm not liking this cold shoulder act from her, but I guess it's karma for treating her the same way at the movies when I'd assumed she'd been working for my father. Man, I really was a bitch to her, and she still forgave me. Now she's mad and it's my fault…again.

"Trouble in paradise?" I look up when her nurse, Melanie, speaks as she fixes Tori's blanket and puts an extra one over her. I nod and lean back in the chair, rubbing my neck.

"I may have pissed her off…"

"Don't worry. She can't stay mad at you forever, right?"

"I guess, but she was really upset with me this time."

"So you two have fought before. Well then, let me ask this: Is this the maddest she's been towards you?" I shake my head, thinking back to that day at the movies.

"No, she's been way more upset than this."

"Then look at it this way, if you got through that, you can get through this." She gives me a light pat on my shoulder. "She'll forgive you when she's had time to cool down." I think it over and nod, knowing she's right.

"You're right. We've definitely worked through worse… I'll just have to be patient."

"There you go." She chuckles. "You know, a little gift doesn't hurt either. Just don't make it too flashy or she'll think you're just trying to buy her forgiveness."

"That's a good idea… I could get her a nice box of chocolates."

"Aren't chocolates kind of on the cheesy side?" I smile, chuckling, and shake my head.

"Not for Tori. She's a literal chocoholic. It doesn't matter if it's cake, ice cream, candy, or even milk. She just loves the stuff."

"Then it's a perfect gift." Melanie picks up Tori's chart and marks a few things down before grabbing her things. "I should go. More people to help, more relationship advice to give." I chuckle, giving her a slight nod.

"Thanks, Melanie. I really appreciate it."

"Any time. I'll be back around dinner time to check on her, unless she needs anything sooner." She gives a quick wave before heading out to check on another patient, and I pull out my phone, looking up the nearest candy shop. There should be one not too far from here…

(Tori)

I wake up from a good sleep to the ache in my leg and pain in my chest that I've had to deal with since ending up in the hospital. I sit up, too fast, and grab my side as a sharp pain shoots through it. I grit my teeth and take a slow deep breath as I wait for it to subside. Stupid busted ribs… I lay back and push a button on the bed to raise it up more to take the pressure off my side but it only helps so much. Just a few more weeks… As I start to get comfortably, I catch some movement out of the corner of my eye and flinch away instinctively before realizing it's just Jade. She's curled up in the small recliner beside my bed, snoring softly as she sleeps, earbuds in and music playing on her phone..

So she stayed… I sigh and grab one of my blankets, gently tossing it over her. I…may have gotten too upset with her earlier… I know she didn't mean any harm when she was asking questions, but I don't want her to know about _that,_ just yet. Not until I can think of a proper way to bring it up. For now, I should at least show her I'm not mad… I look at her and reach over, stroking her hair while she sleeps. She looks peaceful and comfortable in the chair, and I wish she could lay up here with me, but the doctors would never allow it and she's been treating me like glass so I know she wouldn't want to either. Hopefully these next two weeks will fly by so I can go home and sleep in my own damn bed…

I don't think I've been sleeping for too long and she couldn't have been sleeping long herself. Might as well just watch some TV to pass the time. I reach over to my side table to grab the remote and find a box sitting there with a red bow on it. I pick it up to inspect it and see a small card stuck to it.

[Tori, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be nosy. I love you, - Jade]

I open the box and find various chocolates arranged into two cute hearts. I sigh and grin, shaking my head as I close it and set it aside. She really is something else. I watch her sleep for a moment before smirking. I know I was going to leave her be, and she's so going to kill me for this, but I just have to… I reach over and pick up her phone, pausing the song she had on. I turn the volume up all the way and I keep my eye on her as I hit play again, the music blaring loudly now. She jerks up and rips out her earbuds, looking around wildly. I laugh and set the phone down as she looks right at me, still bug-eyed.

"Hey there, sleepyhead. Have a nice nap?" I grin and she glares daggers at me, brushing her hair out of her face and sitting up.

"I did until someone tried to give me a damn heart attack!" She grabs her phone and stops the music, huffing. "What the hell was that for?"

"I was feeling lonely and wanted to spend time with you. Plus, I wanted to thank you for the chocolates." I give her my best pout and, to my delight, it works. She sighs and rubs her face, giving the smallest smile after she's calmed down.

"Definitely a pain in my ass." She mumbles, shaking her head.

"And you love me anyway." I stick out my tongue and giggle when she flicks my arm.

"Not for long if you keep that up." She stretches, yawning, and reaches over to hold my hand. "So, I take it you're not mad anymore?" I shake my head and gently squeeze her hand in return.

"No, and I wanted to apologize for blowing up like that. It really was uncalled for and I didn't take the time to explain."

"I get it. Some things just can't be talked about, and I was being too nosy. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, okay?" She gives me the sweetest smile and it makes me seriously kick myself for snapping at her like I did.

"Thank you." I return the smile and lean towards her, kissing her cheek. I start to pull away but she keeps me where I am and moves close to kiss me. Right when we're about to though, the door flies open and four people rush in.

"Hi Tori! Hi Jade!" Cat shoves the guys out of the way and runs over to the bed, holding bags, balloons and a huge piece of decorated paper. Jade very audibly groans and slumps back in her chair, scowling but it looks more like pouting. I chuckle and pat her arm as I greet Cat, Andre, Beck, and Robbie.

"What are you guys doing here? You're early." Cat shoves the paper in my face and sets everything else on the bed, bouncing on her toes.

"Helen let us leave early to bring you all of this! Look, Sikowitz even got everyone from our class sign this for you!" I open it up and see a bunch of signatures and stickers and doodles everywhere.

"You guys made this for me?…" I smile and look through it, reading all of the like notes my classmates left for me. "You're the best…"

"We knew how lonely you had to be here, and we wanted you to see how much everyone missed you." Andre helps Cat set down her bags and takes the balloons from her, tying them to one of the rails on my bed. "We couldn't get everyone to sign it, _somebody's_ been ditching class for the past three days and we couldn't get a hold of her." As he says that, the paper is pulled from my hands.

"I've been busier than usual. Here." Jade pulls a marker from her bag and writes something on the card before giving it back to me. I chuckle and open it back up, seeing a simple little heart in the corner with her name and the words 'I love you'.

"Now it's perfect!" Cat bounces, excited again, and hugs Jade, who laughs and hugs her back.

"Alright, alright. Did you have soda at lunch again?" Cat shakes her head, giggling.

"Nope!" Jade sighs in relief and nods.

"Okay, good. You know what sugar does-"

"Robbie bought me something called a Unicorn Frappe! It was really good!"

"Cat! I told you to keep a secret!" Robbie tries to hide behind Beck but he moves away, not wanting to be in Jade's war path.

"Why the hell did you buy her that crap?! Do you know how sweet it is?!" Robbie dodges her when she tries to grab him and she ends up chasing him all over the room.

"She really wanted it! I couldn't say no!"

"Alright then, your face looks like it really wants my fist! I guess I can't say no!" Beck grabs Jade and holds her as Robbie hides behind Cat, who is surprisingly not upset that Jade is mad. I watch the whole thing, fighting giggles the entire tire.

If I've learned anything over the past few years of knowing Jade, it's when she's _actually_ angry or joking around. Right now, it seems to be a mix of both and I can't hold back any longer as I burst out laughing, holding myself when the laughing makes my body hurt a little bit. Jade stops fighting against Beck and they both start laughing too with Cat and Andre following right after. Andre slaps a hand on Robbie's back and grins.

"Man, she got you good. You looked like you were gonna wet yourself." Jade brushes away a tear from her eye and sighs, still smiling.

"I really needed that. Thanks Robbie." He pokes his head up from behind Cat.

"So…you're not mad?"

"I never said that. You still bought Cat that Sugar Coma in a cup. Corner." She points to a corner in the room.

"Wait, seriously? I'm not 6 years old Jade."

"You want the alternative?" He immediately turns around.

"Corner it is." Jade smirks and watches as he goes over and stands in the corner, looking over his shoulder at her. "This is degrading, you know."

"Remember that the next time you want to buy her that crap." She comes back over to sit by me and Cat sits on my other side, pulling things out of some bags. "Cat, she doesn't need 8 stuffed animals to keep her company. I'm always here." I just giggle as Cat stacks the stuffed animals on the bed.

"They're not from me. They're from her teachers. This one is from me," She pulls a big purple giraffe out of her backpack and sets it beside me. "Not to keep, just to borrow. Mr. Long Neck always makes me feel better when I'm sad." Jade picks it up before I can and looks it over.

"I'm surprised you still have this thing. I thought one of his legs were coming off."

"I fixed it!" Jade sets it back down and smiles, shaking her head.

"You could have just gotten a new one." Cat immediately snatches the giraffe back and pouts, holding it close.

"No way! Mr. Long Neck means too much! It's the first thing you ever gave me!" Everyone, including myself, is surprised to hear that. Jade bought Cat a stuffed animal? I watch as Jade blushes at the extra attention, very obviously embarrassed.

"I only bought it to apologize for pushing you." She goes on to explain to the rest of us how she pushed Cat in the 3rd grade when they first met. Cat was new in her class and didn't get a chance to learn about Jade from the other kids, how she likes her personal space and will get very angry when people don't respect that. Cat ran up to her on the playground while she was reading and tried to get her to play tag, and after a lot of pestering, she wound up on the ground and Jade was suspended. While the suspension was nothing new to her, she felt bad after Cat started crying, and bought the giraffe, giving it to her once she was allowed to go back to school.

"And we've been best friends ever since!" Cat giggles and hugs Jade again. Jade just gently pries the smaller girl off of her, going to sit beside me again.

"The personal space thing hasn't gone away though." She chuckles, holding my hand again.

"That's so cute, Jade." I lean over and kiss her cheek. "You were a big softie back then too."

"I was _not_." She crosses her arms, frowning.

"Oh, but you were." I poke fun a little bit at her, grinning.

"Don't make me punish you like Robbie."

"You gonna make a girl with a broken leg stand in the corner?" I scoff, rolling my eyes. Right after I say that, she grabs the box of chocolates and gets up, putting them on top of a cabinet in the room. "Hey! What are you doing?! Those are mine!"

"Yup, and now you can't have them until after dinner." I pout, crossing my arms and looking away from her.

"Mean…" I huff and refuse to look at her when she sits down again. "I didn't even eat one yet."

"Sorry babe, but I did warn you." I just stick my tongue out at her and pick up Mr. Long Neck, holding him as Cat plays with all of the other stuffed animals.

Loss of chocolates aside, I do have a lot of fun spending time with my friends. It'd only been a couple of days since they last visited, but it felt like forever. Andre brought me some new books, Beck brought my classwork, and Robbie gave me his notes for our Music Tech class, so while we hang out, I work through the classwork and copy the notes. Not gonna let a broken leg get in the way of my grades. Jade helps me when I need it, which is often, and though it takes me longer than I'd like, I eventually finish. I give Robbie his notes back and hand Beck the stack of papers to give back to my teachers. One of my nurses bring dinner when we're chatting and I eat most of it, pleasing Jade and making her happy enough to give back my chocolates. I decide to save them for later, when everyone is gone, so I don't have to share. I'm not really greedy, I just really love chocolate. By the time I'm done eating, it's nearly 6 and everyone starts getting ready to get home to give me some quiet time with Jade.

"You'll be going home soon, right?" Cat asks, pouting. I nod and give her a smile, hugging her when she comes over.

"Just a couple more weeks. Promise." She keeps pouting but moves over so everyone else can come over and give me a hug too.

After everyone leaves, Jade relaxes and leans back against my pillows. It took some convincing but I managed to get her to sit on the bed with me after explaining that there wasn't enough chairs for everyone.

"I love our friends, I really do, but I'm glad for some alone time now." She sighs and wraps an arm around me to pull me closer to her.

"Me too. It's been a long day. Thanks for staying, Jade." I lean my head on her shoulder and feel her hand touch my hair.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now." She chuckles and I feel her kiss my forehead as I stifle a yawn. "Getting tired?" I shake my head and make myself sit up.

"I'm not tired, it's just the meds. Let's do something fun." I'm pulled back down and the blanket is fixed snugly over me and partially over Jade's legs.

"The meds are making you tired. Get some sleep, I'll be here for as long as they let me stay, you know that." I pout and try to sit up again but she's got a good hold on me, keeping me down.

"But I already took a nap earlier...I don't want to sleep right now." I look up at Jade and give her my best sad puppy eyes. "Please?" She tries to look away but I know I've won when she sighs.

"Alright, fine. We can watch a movie or something, how about that?" I grin, nodding, and move when she sits up to grab her laptop. "Nothing too scary, okay?"

"No promises." She gives me a smirk and scrolls through Netflix.

She lingers on the horror list for longer than I'd like but she eventually picks something.

"I doubt you've ever seen this one so don't worry, it's not that scary."

"I hope not." I move closer as she starts the movie and I lean against her. "What's it called?" She smirks and puts an arm around my shoulder, looking at the laptop.

"I Know Who Killed Me." I sigh and move closer as the movie starts. She _did_ say it's not that scary...

(1 hour and 45 minutes later)

Well…she was right. It's not really scary. This isn't bad like that movie we saw at the theater, but it's still a little creepy.

"You were right. It wasn't that bad. A little cheesy in some scenes, actually."

"See, I told you so. You were nervous for nothing." Jade grins and pats my arm. "If you liked that, maybe we could watch another one."

"Actually… Could I pick something? There's this show that I've been watching and I want to finish it. There's only 3 episodes left in the season I'm on."

"Sure, what's it called." She pulls the laptop closer and looks to me.

"Wynonna Earp. It's a really good show." Jade gets really quiet as she types in the name of the show and when it comes up, I see that she's only two episodes behind me. "Wait, you watch it too?" She blushes and I can't help but giggle when I notice it.

"I started watching it with Rachel but she lost interest by the end of the first season so I watch it when I have an hour or two to spare for myself."

"Great! That means we have to watch it together from now on. I'm a couple episodes ahead of you so we'll pick up where you left off."

"Hell, I'm okay with that. It'll be nice to have someone to binge watch this show with. Plus, we have season 3 to look forward to not too."

"You're right! Now I can gush over every scene with you! I promise not to spoil what I already know though, okay?"

"You better not." Jade chuckles and plays the episode. I watch until she's fully caught up with me and then we both watch together intently on episodes that neither of us have seen yet. Jade gets so animated during more intense scenes and I love this side of her, the side who's easily excited and even a bit childish at times.

We keep watching the show, stopping here and there whenever a doctor or nurse comes is, I'm so focused, I barely feel it when given an injection of something. It's only until it gets close to 11 that things start to wind down. My doctor, after so much begging and calls to my parents and Jade's, allowed Jade to stay the night, so she got more comfortable than she was before. Knowing she would be here in the morning helped me relax even more, on top of my pain meds, and it isn't long until I start falling asleep.

"Quit fighting it Vega. Just go to sleep." Jade nudges me when I almost whack my head against her shoulder as I nod off. I shake my head and try to sit up.

"No... We're still watching… I don't want to just sleep through it…"

"Babe…" Jade pauses the episode and closes her laptop. "We can keep watching tomorrow. Get some sleep." She put the laptop aside and turns out the lights, being careful of my leg as she fixes the blanket over the both of us. I just sigh and close my eyes, not wanting to bother trying to stay up. I'm way too tired…

Today was really good… Actually, it was better than most of my stay here had been. Despite our fight earlier, I'm happier than I'd been in a while, and I know it's thanks to Jade, Trina, and our friends. I'd been feeling really down lately, but they've all looked out for me. I guess it's still hard to remember that I don't need to do things alone and that I have more people to lean on when things get bad. I just wish I could do something to return the favor, to show them just how much I appreciate everything they do for me… I wrap an arm around Jade's waist and let sleep pull me under, dreaming about throwing a huge party.


	15. Exit Stage Left

**Hello! Time for another update :D Thankfully this one didn't take nearly as long as the previous. I've had the same song on loop for about 2, maybe 3 hours, as of the time of posting this. Not sure how it gave me inspiration or what it went towards but hey, if it works, right? I will say, I got a bit emotional with this one because like Trina, I have to leave a lot of important people in my life behind when I moved. Thankfully, I can talk to them whenever I need to hear their voices and now I'm in a much healthier environment. I've already felt the change. I'm more emotionally stable. I stopped crying over everything and stopped feeling so angry all the time. All in all, I'm the happiest I've been in years. Much love to you all -MercyVale**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Exit Stage Left

( _Two weeks later_ )

"Are you sure everything is in there? You have everything you need?" Jade hovers over me as I zip up my bag for school. She's been doing this all morning and it's starting to get on my last nerve…

"For the thousandth time, yes. I have everything. It's not like I have much to bring anyway. All my books should still be in my locker." I huff and pull the bag over my head and on my shoulder before reaching for my crutches.

"Vega…" Jade tries to take the bag off me but I push her hands away. "Come on, You might hurt yourself if you carry it."

"And I can't make you carry my bag all day for me. It's not even heavy." I stand up and position the crutches carefully, moving towards my bedroom door. "I have to do more things for myself. We don't have all of our classes together, remember?"

"I guess, but please be careful…" She opens the door for me and I lean over, giving her a quick kiss.

"I'll be careful, I promise." I turn towards my bed and smile at Jack, who's been such a good boy and keeping us company. "Let's go, Bud." Jack hops down off the bed, and lets Jade scratch his back as she keeps him from bumping me on the stairs.

"You go first. We'll be right behind you." She holds him and I carefully make my way out of the room and down the stairs. I've gotten pretty good at navigating with the crutches, mostly because I like to practice whenever I have time to myself. Jade likes to have me rest as much as possible, but that's not going to help me heal in the long run. I need to build my strength back up once the fracture fully heals, otherwise I'm going to have trouble getting back into dancing.

I get to the bottom of the steps and follow Jade to the kitchen. I set my bag by a chair and sit down at the table with everyone. Mom is setting plates down, Dad is working on paperwork, and Trina is nowhere to be found. She's been acting weird lately, always tired, practically locked in her room when she's out, and out for several hours every night when she does leave. Jade and I dig into our food and Jack rests his head on my lap, watching me as I eat. I slip him a whole piece of bacon when my parents aren't looking and I catch Jade doing the same thing just a few seconds after. I grin and finish up my food, downing the rest of my orange juice. I'm not supposed to have a lot of caffeine while on my meds, so no coffee for me. Jade tried really hard to not have any coffee too, so I wouldn't feel left out, but that lasted about two days before I made my dad get her a cup. She turns ten times more bitchy when she doesn't have her coffee. I love the hell out of her but god… She can be infuriating sometimes.

Once we're both done eating, Jade takes my plate and cup for me and I carefully head back up the stairs to brush my teeth. I get into the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it while I catch my breath. I really hate stairs… Jade joins me after a few minutes, and even though I'm done, I wait for her to finish brushing before, mostly because I don't want to go back down the stairs by myself. We head down and Jade grabs my bag and hands it to me, then grabbing her own bag. I make sure my bag is secure and pet Jack when he comes over to up with my parents close behind.

"We'll play after school Buddy, promise." I scratch his ears and give him a nudge so I can hug my mom. She makes sure that I took my pain meds before tucking the bottle with a note in my bag.

"Please take it easy sweetheart. Call one of us if you feel you need to come home and we'll be right there." She hugs me carefully before going to give Jade a hug as well.

"I will, Mom. Thank you." I smile at her and turn to my dad when I feel my bag being moved. He tucks a small can of mace into my bag and I roll my eyes at that, but let him do it, knowing it'll help him feel better. They weren't happy about me wanting to go back so soon after getting out of the hospital but I can't just stay home, doing nothing. I'll lose my mind…

"I'll be okay dad. Don't worry too much, okay?" He just huffs and zips my bag back up, giving me a tight hug after.

"Come on, Tori. We've gotta go. Bye Mr. and Mrs. Vega." Jade waves to them both and opens the door, holding it for me.

"Goodbye girls. Have a good day at school." My mom holds the door and nudges Jade out after I go through and I carefully follow Jade to her car. She helps me in and puts my crutches in the back before getting in too and starting the car.

Once we're on our way, I notice how tense Jade looks so I reach over to pat her leg, giving her a smile. She glances over at me and gives me a smaller smile, nodding back. She's been anxious all morning while we were getting ready, like she didn't want to go. I wanted nothing more than to go back to school so I was able to pull her out of that funk at the time, but it seems to be back now. She must be really worried about me or something happening to me while at school. She has nothing to worry about though… Even if I'm not around her, I'll be with at least one of our friends so I'll be alright.

It doesn't take long before she's pulling into the parking lot going to her usual spot. Getting out of the car is harder than getting in but I manage fine without Jade fussing over me too much.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry your bag? It's no problem for me, really." She grabs her own bag and leads me into the school, holding the door open for me.

"I'm sure. I'm doing alright on my own so far." I shuffle in and head to my locker. A few people greet me, asking about my cast, and since I don't want the full story out there, I just explain to them that I got hurt and leave it at that. If Missy really had nothing to do with it, then I can at least respect the fact that she'd probably not want anyone to know it was her cousin who sent me to the hospital, even if she got my girlfriend suspended. I'm not petty.

Jade holds my crutches as I open up my locker and I grab everything I need for my first three classes. It's a little heavy in my bag, but I manage to shift it to my back to balance things out. It's not going to be as easy as I thought but I really don't want to have to rely on Jade… I follow her over to her own locker when I'm ready and wait as she grabs her things too. She finishes up and walks with me to my first class, despite my constant protesting. I don't want her to baby me...at least not here. At home, I don't mind it as much, but it feels weird for her to do it here. She reaches into my bag and pulls out my meds along with the note for the nurse.

"I'm gonna go drop this off for you so I'll see you after class, okay? Make sure to take it easy." She opens the door for me and holds it. I sigh and move over, holding the door myself with my shoulder so she doesn't have to. She lets me do that, surprisingly, but puts a hand on my back, like she's trying to steady me.

"Jade, we don't even have class together next period. I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, this is just my Dance class anyway, so it's not like there's going to be too much for me to do, right? I'll see you at third period." I lean over and give her a quick kiss on the cheek and go into the room before she can argue, though I'm sure I'll see her at the end of class regardless. It's Ballet this week so it should be nice and relaxing.

The room starts to fill up and the teacher lets me sit and watch since I can't dance with this cast. A few more weeks, then it can come off and things can start going back to normal. It'll be back to square one until I've regained my strength though. Lots of walkies with Jack will help with that… I'm looking forward to our walks as soon as I'm healed up. I know Trina doesn't mind walking him for me, and even Jade takes him out sometimes, but that was our time to spend together. Now, the best I can do is sit on the deck in my backyard and toss his ball around, but with the pool, there's not much room for him to run.

"Ms. Vega," I'm pulled from my thoughts and look up at Madame McKee as she stands in front of me. "You may leave now. Helen has given you special permission to leave class early, to give you time to get to your next class without straining yourself." I don't have to rush through the crowded halls. I have to remember to thank Helen when I see her.

"Thank you Madame, I hope I'll be able to participate soon." I pull myself to my feet with my crutches and grab my bag.

"As do I Ms. Vega." She returns to the others as they finish up the lesson and I carefully open the door, heading to my next class. I take three steps out the door and peek around. No Jade. That means I can take my time going to my next class, without her babying me.

I take my normal route but if feels like it takes forever and by the time I finally get to class, I'm winded and leaning against a wall, waiting for the bell to ring. Okay, so it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Still, I made it here all by myself, even if I'm a bit worn out. The bell rings and I wait for the class to empty before heading in. My Vocal teacher, Mr. Clark, greets me and allows me to sit closest to the door for when it's time to leave. I get to actually participate in this class, though it's a little rough on the chest. My breathing in pretty much back to normal and the bruise on my lung is gone, but after being in the hospital and the injury, it almost feels like my lungs are weaker, which could be the case. I couldn't do a whole lot while in the hospital and the injury was just a little thing. After a talk with the teacher, he suggests some breathing exercises to help strengthen everything back up and to practice my scales. If I work at it enough, I should be a lot better in no time at all. I thank him and participate as much as I can before it's time for me to go. Mr. Clark allows me to rest before I have to go so I have the energy, and when it's time, I thank him and leave, heading straight for Sikowitz's class. Getting there is surprisingly much easier than I thought it would be. I guess those breathing exercises do work…

I lean against the wall by the door and play on my phone while I wait for the bell to ring when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Tori." I look up and see Trina standing there, looking tired and mildly irritated.

"Hey Trin, everything okay?" She nods and digs around in her bag, pulling something out and handing it to me.

"Here, mom dropped this off for you." She hands me two folded twenty dollar bills. "You forgot your lunch money." I take it and put it in my bag, shaking my head.

"Wow, I never forget that. With everything going on, I guess I was bound to forget something, right?" I sigh and look over at Trina, who's on her phone now, looking more frustrated. "Hey, everything okay? You look ready to kill someone." She shakes her head, not looking up.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? I'm sure I could help in some way. Are you arguing with Jade again?" I chuckle and she even manages to crack a grin.

"No, haven't talked to her all day actually. It's really nothing, don't worry," The bell rings and she starts to walk away. "Head inside, I'll see you at lunch." I start to wave but she gone and I can't see her through the now forming crowd of students. I just sigh and head into the classroom.

"There she is! Ms. Tori Vega. Good to see you back!" Sikowitz is riding a segway on the stage while drinking a coconut and I shake my head at the site, grinning.

"Believe me, it's great to be back." If you don't smile at his antics, you're not human. I find my seat and sit down, putting my crutches out of the way as everyone starts to come in. As expected, Jade is the first one in and she gives me a kiss before sitting next to me. The kiss catches me off guard, but once I focus more on her, I noticed that she looks stressed. I start to ask her what is the matter but she just waves it off, telling me it's nothing. First Trina, now her… Are they actually fighting and neither one wants to tell me? I look down at our hands and sigh. No, if it were like that, they'd tell me. Jade promised to be more open and Trina always talks to me when it's important. It's nothing.

Class starts and while everyone is doing an activity together, Jade and I make a quick trip to the nurse so I can take my anxiety meds and my pain meds. When we get back to class, everyone, aside from me and Jade, is doing a group scene. Sikowitz comes over to us while they work together and he hands me a small box.

"Keep that with you all the time. It'll put this old man's heart at ease." His tone is more serious than I've ever heard it… I open the box and inside is a small whistle attached to a key-chain.

"Sikowitz, I…" I sigh and smile. "Thank you. I won't go anywhere without it." I hand the box to Jade and carefully stand up, giving him a hug.

"I want to know that ALL my students are safe. I don't ever want to have something like this happen again." He pulls from the embrace and claps his hands, looking at everyone. "Alright everyone, Drive-by Acting until the end of class. Beck, Cat, Kyle, Megan, you four are first." I sit back down and see Jade already putting the key-chain on my keys. How the hell did she get those out of my pocket? I just shake my head and wait for her to finish before putting them in my bag. I thank her and kiss her cheek, leaning on her shoulder as we watch everyone take turns. When it's our turn, someone picks our scene and roles. We're in an interrogation room and Jade's a cop, questioning me, a suspect to a crime. She seems uncomfortable at first but falls right into the role after a moment.

"We have your partner on camera breaking into the O'Doyle Estate so you can either make it easy for me or hard for you. Where are the jewels?" I cross my arms and try to act tough.

"I have know idea what you're talking about. There's no way I'd be able to break into anything, let alone a mansion." She squints at me, circling the chair and desk I'm sitting at.

"And why should I believe that?"

"Well," I move the chair back and motion to my leg. "I have a broken leg. Do you know how heavy this thing is? I can barely walk." She stops pacing and looks at me, surprised. I guess she wasn't expecting that. She turns her back to me and covers her face with one hand and I can see her shoulders shaking. Is she...laughing? Jade turns back around, more composed now, and stands in front of the desk, facing me.

"Did you really think I'd fall for that? We have records or your hospital visit. It was on the day of the break in. Or rather, the morning after, wasn't it? How did you say you broke your leg exactly?" My eyes widen and I look up at her. She came up with that on the spot? She really is an awesome actress.

"I fell down some steps in my home. I'm pretty clumsy actually. Happens all the time, but this accident was the worst yet."

"Are you certain that's what happened?"

"Yes, absolutely. So I couldn't have been there." Jade smirks and grabs another chair, sitting in front of me.

"Well, you see, I believe you're lying." I start to protest but she cuts me off. "Correction, I _know_ you're lying. When you injured your leg, you also managed to cut yourself, leaving blood at the scene of the crime. You can claim it's not yours, but I'm already waiting on a warrant for a DNA test and I'm pretty damn confident I'm right." I sit there, mouth open at her adaptability, and Jade reaches over, closing my mouth for me. I sigh, shaking my head, and put my hands up in defeat.

"Alright…. Alright, you got me. I'll tell you where the jewels are…"

"And scene!" Sikowitz steps onto the stage and pats us both on the back as everyone claps for us. "You two have such amazing chemistry on stage. I just love it."

"Tori's the amazing one. Using your cast like that? I definitely didn't see that coming." Jade smiles and I chuckle.

"What about you? You were able to switch things up almost instantly. Your improv is awesome." She grins and the bell rings as we head off of the stage. Everyone leaves and I stand with Jade so we can go last.

"For being so amazing, I am so treating you to some pizza." I chuckle and nod.

"Alright, fine, but I'm buying lunch tomorrow." I let Jade carry my bag and I follow her out of the classroom and out to the Café. Everyone's already at the table, save for Trina who's over at another table with some of her friends. I sit and Jade leaves to get our lunch. Some kids from our Music/Instrumental class come over and ask to sign my cast. There's not much room for signatures since Jade wrote her own name so big. It had something to do with reminding everyone who my girlfriend is, but I let them sign it and then shoo them away when I spot Jade coming back. She sets our trays down and one she sits, we start eating, me with my pizza and her with her favorite burrito with a side of chili cheese fries. Lunch goes by pretty much normal. I glance around as I finish eating and I spot the cheerleaders sitting a few tables away. Missy isn't with them. Maybe she knew I was coming back today and left early… Just as I'm about to take the last bite of my food, I noticed her at the other end of the Café, sitting at a table by herself. I wait for Jade to take my tray and then ask her if she could get me another soda. When she leaves, I tell everyone else that I'll be right back and carefully make my was over Missy. She notices me right away and stands up when I reach the table.

"What do you want, Tori? I'm not bothering you or anyone else. Just leave me alone." I ask her to sit down and when she does, I do too.

"What are you doing over here? Are you supposed to be sitting with the rest of the cheer squad?" She winces and looks down, and in that instant, I know what happened.

"I'm can't sit there if I'm not part of the cheer squad, now can I?"

"Did you get kicked off the squad over the milkshakes? Granted, I'm still pissed about that, but it wasn't _that_ serious." She frowns and looks at me, angry.

"No, it wasn't because of the milkshakes. It wasn't even a teacher that made me leave. It was a majority vote by the rest of the girls." The others turned their backs on her? That's pretty harsh. "It happened because of my idiot cousin." She pauses and sighs. "No… It's my fault. If I didn't vent to her about what had happened at school, she wouldn't have gone after you and brought the cops to the school to question me. They said I made the rest of the squad look bad and kicked me out."

"Wow… I...I'm sorry that happened to you." She looks at me, confused and slightly amused.

"What are you apologizing to me for? It's my fault that you got hurt. I should be the one apologizing." She sighs and looks at her hands. "There's a lot of things that I should be apologizing for..." It's my turn to be confused as I watch her carefully.

"Where did this change of heart come from? I fully expected you to blame me for you getting kicked off."

"I wanted to, but… being kicked off the team and having them basically shun me put a lot of things into perspective. I was a bitch, wasn't I?" I chuckle, nervously, and avoid her eyes..

"Would you be mad if I said yes?" It's her turn to chuckle and I glance over at her, surprised.

"No, I wouldn't. I definitely deserve it and more."

"If it helps, I don't blame you for me getting hurt. You had no idea she would come after me. She made her choice. It's not your fault."

"Try telling that to your girlfriend…" I nod, understanding. I can only imagine how Jade has been since I got hurt, probably making her life hell, but I've had several weeks to think things over. I can be mad at Missy for many other things, but this wasn't her fault. Even that took me a while to accept.

"Hey," She looks up when I speak and I hold out a marker. "Want to sign my cast?" She looks at the marker for a moment, then me.

"You want me to sign your cast? Really?" She reaches for the pen but stop.

"Yes, go ahead. Let's consider this a peace treaty signing." I grin, giving her the marker. "Can't guarantee Jade will want to be all buddy buddy with you but I can at least promise she won't try to kill you." She takes it and signs her name on the side, small enough to go mostly unnoticed.

"I hope you're right about that." She sighs and looks past me for a second, the blood leaving her face. "H-hey… Think you can keep that promise?" I get confused and start to ask what's wrong until I get this creeping feeling on the back of my neck. I shrink in my seat a bit and feel a blush creep up my face.

"Jade is right behind me, isn't she?" Missy just nods and puts the marker near me. I slowly turn around and see Jade, not looking at me but staring daggers at Missy. "Hey Jade… So about that soda-" She puts a hand in my face, signaling me to stop talking, and while I should be bothered, I do as I'm told and watch her as she grabs my crutches and hands them to me.

"Let's go Tori." She lifts me to my feet and once I'm steady, I take a step back.

"Jade, we were talking. I don't have to leave if I don't want to." She scowls and looks at me.

"You're kidding, right? She's the reason you wound up in the hospital."

"She didn't plan on her cousin coming after me. I can't get mad at her for something she did mean to happen."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I usually have good judgement. You should trust it." She rolls her eyes, taking a step back and crossing her arms.

"Good judgement, yeah right. Let's just go before she tries to get you killed this time." She takes my arm but I don't move.

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't trust me?"

"Oh no, don't try and twist my words. I trust you when it comes to a lot of things, but you aren't always right."

"I never said I was." I frown and sit back down when my leg starts to feel sore. "I'm trying to make things right between Missy and I, but you aren't even giving her a chance."

"That's because she doesn't deserve it." She's visibly angry now and Missy hasn't said a word.

"I'm willing to give her a chance, why can't you?"

"Tori?" I look to the side and see Trina coming over. "What the hell are you doing with her?" I sigh and hold up a hand.

"Just hear me out, please?" Trina is quiet as Jade, Missy, and I look at her. After a moment, she nods.

"Alright, I'll listen." Jade groans, frustrated, and storms off. "I'll assume she didn't want to hear that answer… Okay, explain." I give Trina a rundown of what happened and she listens patiently.

"And that's why Jade is mad. She won't give me a chance to explain."

"You have to see things from her perspective, sis. You mean the world to her and seeing you talking to someone who is unfortunately connected to you getting hurt has to be eating her up inside. I know she wants to stay mad at Missy, I do too, and trust me, I do feel bad for her, but it's going to take some time. Let her have that." Trina then turns to Missy who's probably felt so uncomfortable this whole time. "I get it, you didn't plan on Tori getting hurt because of your actions, but she did, so please understand if I don't forgive you right here and now." Missy nods and stands up, grabbing her bag.

"I understand. I don't expect anything in return. I'm just happy Tori took the time to talk to me…" I pull out my notebook, scribbling something down quickly before holding it out to her.

"Here. If you ever want to talk just call me, okay?" She takes it after staring at it in surprise. She puts it in her bag and starts to leave but stops, looking back. She gives me a small smile and nods before leaving. I feel an arm around my shoulder and look up at Trina.

"I just can't leave you alone, can I?" She chuckles and walks with me inside. "What are you ever going to do without me?"

"Drive my girlfriend crazy?" She laughs, shaking her head.

"Oh, I have no doubt you'll do that. Come on, I'll walk you to class, then I get to go have class with Jade. Woo?" I smile, sighing.

"I hope she's not too upset with me…or you for that matter."

"I'll talk to her for you, to try to ease the way, but no promises." We get to my class and Trina gives me another hug before leaving. Wow… She normally can't stand hugs and I got two of them.

I go to class and sit by Robbie. He tries to ask where Jade and I went but I tell him it's complicated and that I'll explain it once I figure things out. While I'm so focused on what to do, the class seems to fly by. I get to leave early as usual, and head to my next class. Jade's the first one there when the bell rings and I'm a bit suspicious how she got here so fast. She holds the door open for my and as I try to gauge her mood, I notice that she doesn't seem nearly as mad as she was. If anything, she seems nervous again. Weird. We walk inside and after we sit and get settled, Jade nudges me.

"We can talk after school, okay? At my place." I smile big and hug her arm. She's giving me a chance… Trina must have had a good talk with her. I'll have to thank her later. Jade wraps an arm around me and rubs my back as we work on a new script for class. Time goes by way faster than usual and soon enough, we're turning in our work and parting ways. Well, I am at least. Jade tells me to meet her at her car at the end of the day and then we can head to her house. I give her a quick peck on the cheek and leave after promising that I'll be there. I get to my Music/Instrumental class and get seated at a keyboard. This is my favorite/easiest class. I get my class credits just for sitting here and playing music for 40 minutes. We're all doing our own thing for a while until one of my classmates, Shawn, comes over and congratulates me.

"Wait, What am I being congratulated for?"

"That crazy sister of yours is leaving, right? You must be the happiest person in the world right now."

"What the hell are you talking about? Trina's not leaving." A girl, Melissa, comes over and smacks his arm.

"You idiot. Didn't you listen to anything I said? I said _don't_ tell Tori. She's not supposed to know. Trina said don't tell her or anyone else." She turns to me as I try to grasp at what the hell they're going on about. Trina's leaving and I wasn't supposed to know? "I'm sorry Tori, you weren't supposed to find out like this…" I gather all of my things and stand up, moving as fast as the crutches will let me. The teacher calls out my name but I ignore him, going down the hall to Trina's last class. I barge in as the bell rings and demand to see my sister but all they can say is that Trina left after fourth period. Fourth period was the class she shared with Jade. Jade… Jade can take me home. Trina has to be there if she left early. I work through the crowd of kids and get outside quickly, heading towards Jade's car. I get there before her and wait, drumming my fingers on the roof of the car impatiently. Jade finally gets outside and I wave to her to get her to move faster. She jogs over, smiling.

"Couldn't wait to come over, could you?" I'm not smiling and I wait for her to unlock my door.

"Take me home. Now." She freezes, looking at me.

"You want to go home? I thought we were going to my place to discuss the "Missy situation"."

"We'll talk about it later. Take me home Jade, please." She sighs, fumbling with her keys as she unlocks her door.

"Alright…" Once we're in, she leaves the parking lot and we head straight to my house. Throughout the ride, Jade tries to get me to tell her what's wrong, but I'm too upset to say anything. We get to my house but she can't park in the driveway so she parks in front of the house. Trina's jeep is there and a bunch of bags and a few boxes, which only upset me more. I grab my crutches and get out of the car.

"Trina!" I shout it just as she's coming out of the house, holding a box, and she drops it on the ground in shock.

"T-Tori?! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be home until later! Jade, you weren't supposed to bring her here!" I get in her face and unclench my jaw as tears stream down my face.

"You're leaving?" I stop and turn to Jade. "You knew about this?!" I shake my head and turn back to Trina. " **You're leaving?** Why didn't you tell me? I'm your sister!" She hugs me tight and I let go of the crutches, hugging her back.

"I'm **so** sorry Tori…. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid to… I didn't want to see you upset."

"Too fucking late for that…" I hear her laugh and I try to push her away but remember that she's pretty much holding me up right now. "It's not funny Trina… You should have told me. I'd be more upset if I came home and you and your stuff was gone. Where are you even going?"

"College. I had to make up this year but Lane told me last week that I have enough credits and he even helped me get into a school… You know how bad I've wanted this Tori, a fresh start…" I do know...but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about this…

"You'll come home for visits, won't you?" She helps me sit on the stone bench and sits beside me.

"When I can. Flying out here all the time will get expensive."

"Flying? Where's the college at?" She says something under her breath and looks away from me. "Say that again?" She sighs, looking me dead in the eye.

"I'm going to New York."

"What?! Trina, that's so far…" I look from her to Jade and then back to her, feeling fresh tears starting to build in my eyes. "Why would you pick somewhere across the country?"

"I know you're mad, but this is a really good school, and they have a ton of classes that I want to take. They even have students help out on Broadway musicals. This will be really good for me. I'm sorry…" I hug Trina tight and start crying into her shoulder. I want to be so mad at Trina, but I know that she's only trying to do good for herself. If I stayed mad at her, that would show her that I'm being selfish and I don't want her to think that. I want her to be happy, but I also don't want to lose my big sister… Trina stays with me and has out parents finish loading everything up, with Jade helping, to give us some time alone.

"Just think, you're birthday is next month. You know I wouldn't miss that for the world. Then my birthweek is the month after that. You'll see me again in no time." Trina holds me and gently rocks me as I finally calm down.

"I know… I just wish I knew you were leaving before all this… We could have spent so much more time together." I sniffle, rubbing my eyes.

"We spent more time together than you think, and it was the best time of my life. I promise. I'm gonna miss the hell out of you Tori…"

"I'm gonna miss you too…" I choke up again and start rubbing my eyes to stop the tears from pouring. "Why would Jade keep something like this from me…?"

"Don't get too mad at her. I made her swear not to tell you. She didn't want to, but I practically had to beg her."

"I guess I can't get that mad at her then…" Our parents and Jade get everything loaded up and mom tells Trina it's getting late.

"It's time for me to go little sis… I have to hit the road…" I tighter my hold on her and almost start bawling again.

"Trina…Wait..." She hugs me again and pulls my arms loose, letting Jade wrap an arm around me. Mom and Dad come over and hug her, wishing her well, and handle things way better than me. Trina even hugs Jack, telling him that he's a good boy and telling him to watch out for me and keep me safe. I'm still struggling with trying not to cry again as Trina grabs her last bag and puts it in her jeep, coming back over to Jade and I.

"Alright. Time for me to go… Take good care of my baby sister, okay Cruella?" Jade chuckles and helps me sit down before going up to her.

"Don't worry about it, Ursula. I'll take good care of her." Trina holds out her hand and to the surprise of the both of us, Jade hugs her instead. "Take care of yourself too. See you soon." They separate and Trina comes back over to me. I make myself stand back up and give her one last hug, feeling her return it.

"I love you Trina…"

"Love you too little sis… I'll be back before you know it…" Jade hands me my crutches and Trina get into her Jeep, waving to us as she leaves. Jade holds me and my dad holds my mom as we both start crying. They lead us into the house and Dad talks to mom in the kitchen as I lay on the couch, my head in Jade's lap and she strokes my hair to calm me.

"I should be mad at you…"

"I know…"

"Trina told me not to." I pout, rubbing my eyes as they sting from crying so much. She keeps stroking my hair and her other hand moves to my back, rubbing gently.

"I know…" I feel her lips on my forehead and then her hand again. "I didn't want to keep it from you but Trina was really insistent and I didn't want to upset you…"

"I would have been upset either way...but I'm glad you respected her wishes at least…" Jack comes up to the couch and I pet him, knowing it'll help.

"I gotta say, I'll miss her too. It'll be weird not fighting with her every ten minutes. Or hearing her sing badly in the shower for an hour."

"Hey, her singing has improved. She's actually pretty good now."

"I know, I just like messing with her, even if she's not here to hear it." I crack a grin and shake my head.

"Hey Jade. Make me a promise." I feel her hand in my hair again and I sigh.

"For you? Anything."

"If you ever decide to leave or have to move. Take me with you." She chuckles and pulls me closer to her and pecks my cheek.

"Okay beautiful. I think I can keep that promise."


	16. Family Bonding

**Here's chapter Fifteen! Sorry it took me a while to get this to you guys but I had to deal with a fanfic brain worm lol I have a feeling things will be a bit difficult, trying to juggle two separate fanfics, but I'm up for the challenge! Please feel free to check it out if you are a KiGo fan. I'll see you guys soon with another chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

(Family Bonding)

(Jade)

Tori's quiet while she lays across my lap, petting Jack as he sits in front of us. She's calm now, but there's no telling when the next wave of tears could start. It's been about an hour since Trina left and the only one handling it well is Mr. Vega. He's been comforting his wife every time she starts crying again. Watching them like this has brought back memories of being upset after my father told me I couldn't see my little brother again. It hurt for a while, but I eventually moved on, though I can't help but wonder how Jake's doing... I shake my head and sigh. I'm sure he's doing just fine. Dad is probably giving him everything he could possibly want. He _is_ the good kid after all. Dad's favorite... It's fine. If he wanted to see me too, he could have. He has moms number and he knows where I live. It's fine. _It's fine._

"Jade? Are you okay?" I look down at Tori as she watches me with concern and nod.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She reaches up, touching my cheek, and it's then that I realized that I'm crying. I swipe at my eyes and try to give her a normal smile. "Hey, I'm okay. These are just sympathy tears, that's all. Lots of emotions built up in here." I nudge her gently and get her to sit up so I can stand. "How about we get some food? I'll order a pizza, my treat." I feel an ache in my arm and rub it absently as I try to think about something else. Tori takes my hand and uses it to pull herself up and before I can react, she's hugging me. "Tori?..."

"I know you well enough to know when something is bothering you." I stand stiff, unsure of what to say. She squeezes tighter before pulling away and putting her hands on my shoulders. "I also know you well enough to know that asking you to tell me what's wrong probably won't help. So whatever it is, just know that I love you and I'm here." I look into her eyes, feeling guarded, but it doesn't take long for those pools of milk chocolate to calm me down. I can tell that she means that…

"I'm sorry… I just don't want to make this about me, you know? Not when your sister just left and you're still coping with that." I start to pull away but she has a firm grip on me.

"I'll be alright. Yeah, I'm still sad, but it's not like I'll never see her again. She said it herself,

she'll be back for my birthday next month. That's just three weeks away. I can go that long

without seeing my sister. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. You don't have to. Let's talk about something else. Something like…" She looks away and I know exactly what she's thinking

about. I sigh and nod, giving her a small smile.

"Alright. We can talk about it, but let's do it over something to eat. I'm starving." I pull out my phone and begin to dial my favorite pizza place but Mrs. Vega calls us over so I save the number and follow Tori to the kitchen.

"Girls, why don't we go out and get something to eat. Jade, David already called your moms to get the okay from them if you'd like to join us." I can tell she's trying really hard to keep herself together, and I get the feeling that going out for dinner is her way of distracting herself. I pat Tori's back and nod, smiling.

"I'd love to join you, thank you Mrs. Vega." I feel a tug on my hand and I turn to Tori as she tries to pull me away.

"Come help me upstairs so I can grab my jacket." I follow her and help her up the stairs like she asks, though I'm confused as I do. All day, she'd told me she could do everything herself. Did she overwork herself and tire herself out? I told her not to do that.. We get to the top of the steps and she goes into her room with me close behind. "Just sit while I look for my jacket. It's in here somewhere." She opens up her closet and starts digging around as I sit down on the bed, looking around the room. She has new posters up now of some bands that I introduced her to, as well as some new knick knacks. I can't believe she actually let me keep my appendix here. I brought it over to make her laugh and suggested it as a joke but she didn't miss a beat. She even picked the spot for it to go. She really is the woman of my dreams. "Hey Jade?" I look over to her as she holds up two shirts, one a black low-cut midriff and the other a dark blue t-shirt with black swirls around the front and back.

"Changing clothes too?" She nods, sighing.

"Might as well. I need to comb my hair too, but you can help with that. Pick one." I look at both and try to decide which one I like more before deciding on the dark blue one.

"This one. I like this shade of blue on you. It's bold." She grins and hangs the other one back up.

"I was hoping you'd pick this one." She sets the new shirt aside and starts to take her current one off and I cover my eyes out of respect, resisting the urge to peek. Several minutes pass and when I'm about to ask her if she's ready, I feel her hands on mine and I start to uncover my eyes. "Wait… Don't look…" I keep my eyes closed like she asks and let her guide my hand. I feel her place my hand against her hip, and just under my fingertips, I feel the long scar that moves along it, as well as the smaller lines around it from her tattoo. I can tell from how hard she's trying not to move away that she's kind of uncomfortable and I know this is a huge step for her, even if it is still bothering her. She doesn't usually mind me seeing it anymore, but touching it is on a whole other level, so my guess it that she didn't put her shirt yet and doesn't want me to see her without it. Doesn't change the fact that she chose to do this on her own, unprovoked. The last time I got a good look at her scar was while she was in the hospital and I was checking on the tattoo. With my eyes still shut, I lean closer and gently press my lips to the scar before standing up and wrapping my arms around her, kissing her deeply.

"I love you…" I whisper it against her lips when I pull away and I feel her smile. This beautiful, strong woman trusts me more than I really deserve. It's taken me until now to actually realize that. Life tried to knock her down as hard as it could and she came back every time, stronger than ever. She pulls away from my hold and I hear her pull the top on

"I love you too… Let's go before my parents think we're making out up here." She giggles and I grin, opening my eyes to her pulling on a thin silver jacket.

"Alright, if we must," I pretend to sound frustrated even though I know she's not buying it, then grab her brush and quickly come her hair. "But that means you owe me a make out session later to make up for it." She laughs as she holds onto my arm while I guide us both back downstairs."

"I'm not sure it works that way but we'll see what happens." Her parents meet us at the bottom of the steps and together we leave. I plan on spending the night so we just leave together in Mrs. Vega's car with Tori and I in the backseat. The radio plays some new Katy Perry song but I'm more focused on Tori as she hums along with it. She's leaning against me with one of my hands in both of hers, playing with my fingers. I let her since it seems to keep her content and it's just another one of the little things she does that I love. Like the way she doodles on her notebooks when she's bored, without even realizing it, or how her tongue sticks out just slightly when she's super focused on something.

I watch Tori as she kisses each finger lightly, her lips barely ghosting over each one, and then turns my hand over to look at the star on my wrist. She looks at me and I give her a slight nod, letting her know it's fine before watching her brush her fingers over the scar beneath the ink. She traces it slowly, the softest pout forming on her bottom lip, and I'm about to ask her if she's okay but we both look up when the car stops in front of a small Chinese restaurant..

"We're here girls." We get out and I hand Tori her crutches before following her parents inside. I look around as we're brought to a table and note that it smells really good in here. I like Chinese food as much as anyone, but everything here looks super authentic. We sit down, Mr. and Mrs. Vega on one side, and Tori and I on the other, and pick up our menus.

"Get anything you want Jade. The food here is delicious." Mrs. Vega gives me a smile, and though she tries hard to hide it, I can tell she's still upset. I return the smile and give her a nod.

"Thank you Mrs. V, and thank you for inviting me to come along."

"It was no trouble at all, sweetie. You do so much for Tori that you really do deserve a break."

"I've been trying to give her breaks but she never takes them. At least I finally got her to stop trying to carry me."

"I just don't want you tiring yourself out, that's all." I chuckle and scan through the menu. "Wow, everything looks good."

"We found this place because of my mom actually. She's allergic to peanuts and this place doesn't use peanuts or cook with peanut oil. We tried some places before that but this one was the best." I'm very picky when it comes to Chinese food so I'll be the judge of that, but even if it's not the best, I'll pretend to like it, so they don't feel bad.

A woman comes over to take our order and I ask for the spicy garlic shrimp and vegetable fried rice. Tori gets orange chicken and the veggie rice like me and her parents get a seafood platter to share with chicken lo mein. We all have a nice conversation about school/work while we wait for our food and we start talking the job my stepmom is helping me get in the next month or two. She has a few friends who renovate houses and she's trying to convince them to let me work to get my job credits. Money isn't really an issue when your parents could probably buy 10 copies of your house and comfortably pay the mortgage on all of them, but it'll look really good on my resume, that I'm not just hoping to land some acting gig when I get out of school and that I have actual real world job experience.

"It's mostly just helping to clean out houses or paint or clean out yards. Nothing too crazy."

"I'm surprised Rachel didn't try to get you some temp job at the law firm." Tori chuckles, leaning against my arm as she sips her lemonade.

"Actually, she tried, but my mom told her no because there's too many sleazy guys and she doesn't feel up for firing anyone just yet." I laugh, shaking my head. She was laughing when she said it, but I could tell she was still very serious. She was just looking out for me and my best interests. "My uncle will be working with them too so I'll have someone there to help me out if I need it."

"That's great! I'm so glad Mitch finally got some decent work. I know he's been working so hard trying to keep a steady job."

"Going to prison will do that… All it takes is one screw up, and you're record is ruined. Can't get a job, can't take out a loan… It really bit him in the ass." I pause, looking at Tori's parents. "Sorry, please excuse my language." Tori's dad waves it off, seeming very interested in the conversation. Our food comes and is set down in front of us.

"It's alright, Jade. Now, if I may ask, why did your uncle go to prison?" I hesitate at first, pushing my food around. I don't want her dad to get a bad impression of him but I'm sure he could do a background check anytime he wanted so I shouldn't lie...

"Well...the simple answer is drug possession," I glance up at him before quickly taking a bite of fried rice. "But it wasn't his fault, really. He pissed off some people and they framed him by breaking into his car and hiding stuff in it. Did 4 years and had to pay a $10,000 fine."

"I see…" I see him looking at his wife and they both share a look of concern. He's probably worrying about what people his daughter is hanging out with... He'll probably tell her she can't go to my house anymore… "Jade." I nearly drop my fork when he calls me and look at him as he gives me that same concerned look.

"Y-yes sir?"

"Have those people been caught? Have they tried to bother your family since then?"

"No… The police never got them. Mitch said they were planning on skipping town before he'd gotten arrested."

"And what how was Mitch associated with them? Did he work for them?"

"Not technically. He worked in construction and was working on a building next to theirs. I guess he didn't know **who** they were and nobody warned him because he told the boss off once. I think he said it had something with the guy coming over to their lot and harassing the other workers. A week later, police are searching his car because they got an 'Anonymous tip'. It was complete bullshit." I scowl and go to take a bite of shrimp and almost jump out of my skin when I see my plate move. Tori takes it and before I can ask why, I watch her cut the tails off my shrimp and move the tails to her plate. "Thanks…" She nods and passes it back before eating her own food.

"So they framed him… And he did time because of it. I can only imagine how angry he must have been with them." I think about it as I eat. Mitch was pretty angry at first but…

"I think he was just happy they didn't do worse to him. It could have ended really badly for him. Apparently these guys were some serious drug lords and could have had him killed…"

"That's terrible…" Tori seems really down and I start to feel bad for talking about all this now. I'd told her I didn't want to make things all about me but I just did...

"I'm sorry… I know this isn't the best dinner conversation."

"It's fine, Jade. I might have been prying a bit too much. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." I nod, looking back to my plate.

"It's not that I don't want to, I just feel like it would be better to hear it from Mitch himself, but even then, he doesn't like to talk about it much either." I don't add that he's very paranoid when it comes to that topic. He worries that they know where he is and is keeping an eye on him, so he doesn't say anything. The only reason I know is because I caught him while he was drunk and got him to tell me.

"Then let's talk about something else." He brings his attention back to his food before talking. "How was school today, Tori? Have any trouble getting around? I can call Helen and see if she can give you some extra time between classes."

"Actually, she already did that. It really came in handy today since it took me a while to get from class to class." I smile to myself and think about the talk Helen and I had. She really stuck it to me for missing so many days, but she did give me a chance to make up for it. Thankfully she understood my need to be with Tori while she was recovering, which might be why she was quick to accept my idea of Tori having the extra time. Now I just have to keep to my side of the agreement. No more missing classes and I have to help tutor some of the underclassmen for the next few weeks. That'll be manageable as long as they're not too annoying, but I don't exactly see that going my way.

* * *

Tori and I finally talk about Missy. I don't want her going anywhere near her, but Tori seems to really want to try being friends with her. As much as it kills me, I agree to be civil around her and give her a chance, though the thought of being anywhere near her makes me agitated. If this girl does one thing that upsets Tori though, her face and my fist are having a round 2, and I don't care if I get detention or suspended. I refuse to let that bitch try and pull a fast one on my girlfriend.

Through the rest of dinner, the conversation stays light and we enjoy our food. They were right, this place is pretty damn good. I might have to come here from now on and bring Mom and Rachel here. When she's done eating, I pull Tori's meds out of my pocket and make sure she takes them before putting the rest of her food in a to-go box. When it's time to go, Tori hands me her box of leftovers and stands up, following me and her parents out to the car. I can tell she's tired, especially once we're in the car and she starts leaning against me.

"Hey, we'll have you home soon and then you can get some sleep, okay." She just nods and pulls out her phone, checking her messages.

"Trina texted me… She said she's stopping at a hotel for the night and that she'll call us in the morning…"

"See, you two are still gonna talk all the time. It'll be like she's still here." I smile and kiss her forehead, getting a smile in return.

"Yeah, you're right…" She texts her sister back and I check my own phone, seeing a message from my mom. She and Rachel went out to dinner too and they wished me a good night. I let them know that I'll see them tomorrow and put my phone away, wrapping my arm around Tori. We get back to her house and after her mom parks the car, I help Tori out and we head inside. She's more awake now than she was before but I still guide her up the stairs, just in case she slips. She gets to her bed and sits down, laying back and stretching.

"Don't fall asleep yet. You should get your pajamas on." I grin down at her and put the crutches to the side before taking off her shoe.

"I will. Are you staying the night again?" She gets up and carefully goes over to her dresser, keeping a hand on my shoulder as I walk with her.

"Yeah, just one more night. My moms went out on a date so they won't be home until late. Rather than sit in an empty house, I'd rather stay here and bug my girlfriend." I chuckle and guide her back to bed before going back over to the dresser and digging through the drawer she let me have.

"Oh, great." She sounds sarcastic, but I can hear the smile in her voice. I stand up, pajamas in hand, and give her a smirk.

"If you don't want me to stay, I can drive home and sleep there tonight." I set my clothes on the bed and start walking towards the door.

"Nooooooo…." Right on cue, she grabs my hand and pulls me back to the bed. I sit back down and pull her into my lap.

"I'm not leaving, silly." I smile and give her a peck on the lips. "I'd only leave if you really wanted me to."

"Then I never want you to leave..." I laugh and gently move her back onto the bed before grabbing my pjs again.

"I don't think your parents would be comfortable with your girlfriend moving into their house." She brags her own clothes and we turn our backs to each other to get dressed.

"I guess I'll just have to move out and get my own place someday. Then you can stay with me forever and ever."

"Why, Ms. Vega, are you asking little ole me to move in with you someday?"

"I don't talk like that!" I bite back a giggle and fold up my clothes, tucking them into my backpack.

"That doesn't answer my question, Boo."

"Yes, I want you to move in with me someday, you butt." She giggles and I feel a pillow hit the back of my head and I laugh, tossing it back at her.

"I am not a butt. You are, but it's okay because you're a cute butt. And yes, I'd love to move in with you one day." She catches the pillow and sets it back down on the bed.

"Good." She grins and tosses her clothes in the hamper before taking her contacts out. I kiss her cheek and turn on the tv before shutting off the light. I grab her Xbox controller and sit down on the bed, motioning for her to lie down with me. She and I get under the covers and she cuddles up to me as I scroll through Netflix to find something to watch. I throw on some Disney movie I know she likes and settle in for the rest of the night.

When the movie ends, it's really quiet so I start to think Tori's fallen asleep until I look down at her and find her staring at me.

"Hey… You okay?" She nods and I can see her eyebrows furrow, like she's thinking really hard about something. She sits up and keeps her arms around me, leaning in to kiss me. I just lay there, relaxed, and let her take the lead. She doesn't initiate things like this very much ever since we came out to everyone, probably worried anything would happen to us, so I try hard to make sure she never feels pressured to do so. She normally prefers that I initiate any and all make out sessions, but once in a while, she'll take control of a situation. The kiss gets more heated and she moves closer to me as I rest my hands on her waist. Tori has one hand in my hair and one on my shoulder, holding me in place. She breaks the kiss and we both just lay there, catching our breath. I nuzzle her cheek and smile, moving a hand to her hair to run my fingers through it.

"Hey Jade…?" I meet her gaze and she has that same look from before, like there's something she wants to do but is unsure. "Can I…."

"What's up?" She stiffens up, and even in the dim light of the TV, I can see her whole face turn a deep shade of red.

"Uh..N-never mind…" She moves away and lies back down on the pillow. "It's late. Let's get some sleep."

"Wait, did I do something wrong?" She shakes her head and pulls me to lie down too.

"You didn't do anything. It's fine. It's nothing. Let's just go to sleep." I take one of her hands and lift her chin to make her look at me.

"Hey… Let's talk about it…" She looks down and shakes her head, frowning.

"Please, Jade. I really don't want to talk about it so you're just going to have to trust me on this, okay?" I give a resigned sigh and nod. If I try to force her to talk about it, it'll only end with her pissed off at me like last time. I just wish she trusted me as much as she always says she does...as much as she wants me to trust her...

"Alright… We don't have to talk about it. Let's get some sleep." I turn off her Xbox and TV and set the controller on the nightstand before pulling the blanket up to cover the both of us. She's still tense but she lets me hold her and I make sure she's comfortable before closing my eyes.

"Jade?" I open one eye and look at Tori. She's got her head resting on my shoulder but she's not looking at me.

"Yeah?" She fidgets with the collar on my pajamas before sighing and relaxing into me.

"I love you…" I can't help but smile and sigh as well.

"I love you too." I close my eyes again and let the sound of her breathing lull me to sleep.

* * *

 **-1 month later-**

"Tori, you have to slow down." I walk beside Tori as she works her way down the stairs, making sure she doesn't fall. Jack waits for us at the bottom of the stairs, chewing on a new rawhide bone I got him yesterday.

"Like hell I'm gonna slow down. I finally got the cast off today and I just want to get used to walking without it on." I shake my head and grab her hand to keep her close to me. She got her cast off today and I think this is the most excited she's been all week. We got back from the doctor's office over an hour ago and she's barely sat down and relaxed. The doctor said she's going to have a limp until the leg muscles build back up and I know she wants to take care of it, but you can tell her leg still hurts her and it's going to take time for her to be back to 100%.

"I know you're happy to have it off, but if you're not careful, you could get hurt again. You heard what the doctor said, you need to build your strength back up slowly. Don't rush it."

"I'll be okay, don't worry. It's getting a lot easier now." She sits down and gets her shoes on while I grab her jacket and mine.

"You know I'm going to worry regardless, so please, just tell me you'll take it easy tonight."

"Alright, alright. I'll do my best to be careful, okay?"

"Thank you." I stick my tongue out at her, giving her her jacket and then put mine on before grabbing my keys and Jack's leash. "Okay, let's go. We still need to pick up Cat and Mitch is expecting me to be at the job in an hour." I clip his leash on and head for the door.

"Oh, that actually reminds me. I'm still really mad at you." I roll my eyes and open the door, waving goodbye to Holly and David as we leave with Jack in tow.

"What did I do this time?" She opens the door and gets in after Jack, putting on her seat belt.

"Um, why do you think? It's the night before my birthday. You promised me that we'd go out to dinner tonight and see a movie. Now you have to go to work." Before I can say anything, she grabs the door and shuts it, leaving me to stomp over to the driver's side and pull my door open.

"Hey, I gave you fair warning that I might get called in. Mitch said this house needs to be done by tomorrow. It's a rush job, so you know I have to go. I'm the only one they trust to paint the rooms quickly. You'll be hanging out with Cat and Missy so you'll have plenty of stuff to do and you know Missy's mom is going to cook dinner, maybe even those Pumpkin cookies. Save me some of those if she does." I tolerate Missy, but I like hanging out with her mom when she invites us over. Tori thinks I've become addicted to her pumpkin cookies and she's probably right, but I'm doing everything I can to get the recipe from her. That woman sure knows how to bake…

"No. You get no cookies. I'll make sure Missy, Cat, and I eat all of them."

"What, that's not fair!" She crosses her arms and turns away in a huff.

"No date night, no cookies."

"Wow Vega, that's extra mean of you." I grumble and start the car, heading to Cat's house. We go back and forth about it the whole way there and I eventually wear her down and get her to agree to save me some cookies after promising to take her out after her birthday on the "best date ever". I'm a little smug as I turn onto Cat's street. We argue like any other couple and I've been giving in to her demands more than I really should, to the point where I feel like she's been taking advantage of that, so when I do get my way, it makes me feel good.

After a few minutes, I pull into the driveway and Cat's already waiting there with a backpack and her stuffed giraffe. She gets in the back and hugs us both from behind before turning all of her attention to Jack, who sits down and lets her pet him all over. When she's settled in and buckled up, we head to Missy's house. Cat and Tori sing along to the radio and I sing along only when a song that I like comes on. After about 4 songs, I'm pulling into Missy's driveway.

"Yay, we're here! I can't wait to play with Russell!" Cat jumps out and runs to the front door, waiting for us. She was infatuated with Missy's Guinea Pig and loved holding him. I think she gets like this because her parents won't let her have a pet. I do feel bad for her, since she really is good with animals. Tori's dog took to her in no time and Gypsy loves her.

Tori gets out and I walk with her to the door. I was just going to leave so I didn't have to say hi to Missy but I can't just drop her off and then leave. What kind of girlfriend would I be? I reach over to ring the doorbell but Cat gets to it before me and pushes the doorbell about a million times before Missy opens the door. There's something off about her but I can't put my finger on it. It's almost like she's distracted. Like she's here, but not really...

"Alright, alright! Geez Cat… Come in." Cat flies right in and head straight to Missy's room after saying a quick hi to Mrs. Davis. "She wanted to play with Russell, didn't she?"

"Yup."

"Yup." Tori and I say it at the same time and I blush when Missy starts laughing.

"You two are really funny together."

"We're only funny when Jade's not being a grunch."

"I'm NOT being a Grunch!" I catch that familiar playful look in Tori's eyes and I scowl, turning around. "I gotta head to work. I'll pick you up later tonight, okay?"

"Okay, drive safe." I'm tugged back and turn around, looking into Tori's eyes. I chuckle to myself. Of course she would never let me leave without a goodbye kiss. I give her a quick kiss and even turn to give Missy a wave before I go. She waves back, but still seems distracted, so I tell Tori to find out what's wrong with her before just get into my car and leave. This job is super important and I need to get it done before tomorrow...


	17. An Unexpected Guest

**Hello everyone! Thanks for coming to check out the most recent chapter! I will be doing my best to get the next chapter of Phoenix up, then things will likely be slowing down a bit as I GOT A JOB! Look who's part of the working class yo! Lol seriously though, I'm really excited to start working, but do not be alarmed. This does NOT mean that either stories will be stopped. I will still be uploading af frequently as I can and will keep you updated on my Twitter if anything comes up. Feel free to check it out if you'd like, my twitter handle in in my bio, but it is not required! Okay, so please enjoy this upload. I got a few suggestions in my inbox from a few of you and have decided to incorporate some of those ideas. To the one who suggested the main plot point of this chapter, thank you so much! Enjoy the chapter and see you all soon! - Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

An Unexpected Guest

(Tori)

"I'm glad to see you got your cast off.." Missy closes the door and I walk with her into the house. "I bet you feel a lot better now that it's gone."

"I do." I unhook Jack from his leash and let him go, knowing he'll go straight to the kitchen where Mrs. Davis is gonna spoil the hell out of him. "That thing was such a pain in the ass."

"Sorry about that." I groan and run my fingers through my hair.

"Missy. This is the last time I'm going to say this. Stop apologizing. It's over with and not your fault."

"But-" I put a hand on her shoulder and make her look at me.

"No. No more of this. We can just forget about it now since my leg is better."

"I mean, we can't just forget about it, can we? You got hurt because of me and my big mouth and only bad things have happened since then..."

"This is about more than just my leg, isn't it?"

"W-what? What do you mean? Of course it's about your leg, there's nothing else bothering me."

"Yeah...not sure if I believe that. You can be honest with me, you know." Missy doesn't stop denying it and normally I wouldn't push things this far, but she usually gives in by now. I just grab her hand and drag her to her bedroom with her protesting the whole time. "Cat, I need you for a minute. We have a Code Walrus." Cat jumps up from petting Missy's guinea pig, Russell and runs over to us.

"Yay! I love Code Walrus!" She immediately tackles Missy in a hug and I sit on the bed, watching and grinning as I rub my leg to ease some of the ache in it. Missy starts to protest but I know for a fact that no one can get a hug by from and _not_ feel better. I kneel down and take Russel out of his cage, playing with the fluffy tuft of hair on top of his head.

"Tori! Tell her to stop!" Missy laughs and I watch her as she tries to pry Cat off but that girl is way stronger than she looks.

"Not until you tell me what's got you acting weird." Cat doesn't stop hugging her and Missy just raises an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine." I set the guinea pig down and look her over, trying to see if she's bluffing, but get nothing. She seemed worried about something when we first got here but now she seems fine...

"Eh, must be my imagination. You just looked like you had a lot on your mind, that's all." She tenses up and looks away from me as she tries harder to pull Cat off of her. Bingo.

"Well, like I said, I'm fine."

"Really?" I press. "Because it looks like you're getting upset."

"I'm not upset!" It's then that her face turns red and she becomes more serious, forcefully shoving Cat off of her. Cat falls over and lands on her butt, immediately tearing up from the action.

"Ow…" All the steam seems to leave Missy and she calms down, kneeling beside Cat to make sure she's okay.

"Oh god, Cat, I'm sorry. Please don't cry…" She helps her back to her feet and wipes her face. "Jade is going to murder me…" I make Cat sit down on the bed and lift Russell out of his cage again, giving him to Cat.

"Play with Russell, he'll help you feel better." She takes him, nodding, and pets him slowly. "It was just an accident. You didn't mean to push her down like that, right Missy?" I shoot her a glare and she quickly nods, taking a step back.

"Yea, it was an accident… I'm really sorry Cat…" Cat sniffles and pets Russell, nodding.

"It's okay…" I pat Cat's shoulder and sigh, looking at Missy as she starts to slowly back out of the room.

"Hey Cat, Missy are going to get some snacks, okay? Keep a good eye on Russell."

"Okay…" I pat her head before putting a hand on Missy's back, leading her out of the room.

"Let's talk." She gets a little paler but nods, walking with me out of the room and outside where we'll have privacy.

I sit down on her porch swing, putting my leg up, and she sits on the bench in front of me. "Okay, tell me what's wrong, and don't say nothing, because I'm not dealing with lying after you already hurt Cat."

"Please, don't tell Jade about that…"

"I won't. Just tell me what's got you so bent today." Her face turns red again and she looks like she's going to cry. "Hey... Is it really that bad?" She nods and starts rubbing at her eyes, trembling.

"It's not good... My mom doesn't even know…" She stands up and looks at the window behind me, closing it from out here before sitting back down. "Okay... " She opens her mouth and starts to say something but stops suddenly and shakes her head, jumping back up and pacing. "I...I can't…"

"Missy… Whatever it is, i'm not going to judge you for it. You need to be able to trust me. I've trusted you like you wanted, right?" She glances at me but keeps pacing and I watch her as she rubs her arms and tugs at the neck of her shirt. That looks familiar...

"Yeah but…" I stand up and grab one of her arms, making her sit down.

"Relax... You're going to give yourself an anxiety attack. Breathe." I do what Jade does for me when I'm off my meds or having a bad day. I take deliberate, slow, deep breaths and get her to breathe with me. She seems to calm down and I pat her shoulder. "There we go... Much better. Now, What's gotten you all worked up?" She keeps taking breaths and doesn't look at me, instead choosing to stare at the ground. After a few more minutes, she finally speaks.

"I'm…pregnant…" My heart skips a beat and my whole face flushes red.

"You're what?" She tries to stand up, pushing me away and frowning.

"I knew this was a bad idea…" I grab her hand and pulled her back down, placing my hand back on her shoulder.

"It just caught me off guard, that's all. I'm sorry…" She sighs, one arm around her stomach and her other hand holding her head.

" **You** were caught off guard? What about me? How am I supposed to explain this to my mom?"

"I...I don't know, but Missy, she'll have to know eventually, otherwise she'll start to notice when…" I silently mime out a rounder stomach which only upsets her more and she starts crying.

"God...I'm going to get fat…"

"Hey, hey… Don't cry…" I hesitate before pulling her closer and hugging her. "It's okay…" I try to calm her down while trying my best to wrap my head around it. Missy pregnant?

Missy eventually starts to calm down and goes back to taking deep breaths while I rub her back.

"Thanks… Sorry, it's just… I only just found out the other day and I've been trying to distract myself and not think about it… It hasn't been easy…"

"Would you be comfortable telling me who the father it?" She doesn't get upset like I expect, and instead, she seems to get really pissed off.

"He's an inconsiderate asshole who got what he wanted. He won't answer my calls and I'm pretty sure he blocked my number after we had…" She stops herself ands sighs. "His name's Steven Carson. You wouldn't know him though. He didn't go to our school but I met him at-"

"Karaoke Dokie." I feel my blood run cold and I can hear my heart beating in my ears.

"Yeah… How did you know?" I grab the little pillow that's between us on the swing.

"Let me borrow this for a second." I get up and step away from a confused Missy, going to the other side of the porch. I slam the pillow over my face and let out the loudest shriek I think I've ever made into it. When I've gotten that out, I pull the pillow away and walk back over, not nearly as calmly as before. "Sorry about that. Thank you." I put the pillow back and fix my hair, taking a good, long breath.

"Are you..okay?" I look at Missy and she looks shocked, maybe more shocked than I was when she told me she was pregnant.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I have an unfortunate past with that same guy."

"You dated Steven?"

"We did more than just date…" II look at her quickly, pointing a finger at her threateningly. "You can't tell Jade any of what I'm about to tell you, got it?"

"You have my word that I won't say anything." I nod and tell her everything, starting with how I met Steven at Karaoke Dokie.

I explain that he and I had been going out for a while and he always seems so nice and caring, until I found out that he'd been dating another girl. Carly Shay, who used to do that funny web show until last year. We worked together and got revenge on him but I'd always thought he'd gotten off easy.

"So you see, I have way too much of a past with him from that alone, and that's just the stuff that Jade knows about."

"So she doesn't know that you…" She stops, looking at me and blushing.

"That he and I had sex? No, she doesn't know that, and I've wanted to tell her for a while now but I don't know how to bring it up..." I blush as well, rubbing the back of my neck. "I've been wanting to take our relationship to the next level but everytime I try, I think about him and then I get upset or pissed off, thinking about how stupid I was."

"You didn't know any better and you and her weren't together at the time so she wouldn't get mad, would she?"

"No, that's not the issue. Being with him gave me a lot of trust issues. I know Jade would never hurt me like he did, but it's hard to let my guard down when it comes to that." She nods and I watch her touch her stomach absently. I kick myself mentally. I've gone and made this all about myself… God, I _always_ do this… I clear my throat and pat her arm. "Enough about me. How are you feeling? Have you been to a doctor?"

"No…, I haven't seen one, but I've felt normal, I think." She looks at me,nervous. "I've only known for a week. I haven't really gotten around to any of that. Hiding the morning sickness has been the hardest. Did you know it can happen at any time of the day? I didn't…" She gets sadder and I sigh, trying to think of what I could do to help her.

"Missy, you're going to have to tell your parents at some point… They need to know."

"But-"

"No buts. What if there's something wrong with one or both of you? You need to tell them and then you need to see a doctor." She's quiet, thinking it over, and looks at me, nervous again.

"Do I have to?..." I bring my leg up and rest it on my knee, rubbing while I think.

"It would be better to do it sooner than later... You wouldn't want them finding out when it's too late…" My mom would kick my butt if I got pregnant and waited to tell her...

"I guess you're right… I don't even know where to begin telling them…"

"That is a good point… Maybe you should say it during dinner. Just say it casually and they won't even notice." That draws a chuckle out of her and I smile.

"Hell no… My dad would catch it in a second." I pat her arm and stand, stretching my legs.

"Don't worry, no matter how you'll tell them, they'll understand. They're your parents after all, and besides, your mom is really cool. She didn't even question why I was hanging out over here, and she was there during the...situation with your cousin…"

"To be fair, my mom's always been weird when it came to Cassidy. She always hide the good china and her jewelry box whenever she came over, but I never saw her steal anything , even once."

"Maybe she just assumed she might steal something."

"Maybe. I don't know… She always just seemed normal when it was just us. I guess her being normal went out the window when she attacked you…" Her voice softens.

"I already told you, it's okay. I know you had nothing to do with that. And even though she doesn't really talk to you much or act very nice around you, I can say for certain that Jade doesn't blame you as much as she used to. She and I had a long talk last week. So stop blaming _yourself_." She moves to hold herself and sighs, rubbing her arms.

"Alright…" She looks behind us, at the window again, and stands. "We should probably go back inside. Cat'll be wondering why it took so long to get snacks." She tries to give me a smile but I can tell she still has a lot on her mind.

"Probably, but more than likely, she's been distracted with Russell." I smile back and pat her arm, standing as well. We head back inside and make a stop in the kitchen, grabbing snacks and drinks, and then head back to her room. Cat is sitting on the floor, putting a little paper crown on Russell's head as Jack lays in the back by the heater, probably sleeping off all of the treats Mrs. Davis gave him.

Cat gets excited when she sees us and tells us everything she did with Russell while we were gone. It's a good distraction for Missy and I make sure we do a lot of things, to keep her mind off of the pregnancy. Every so often, she has to excuse herself to the bathroom but we just tell Cat that she had a bad burger yesterday and wasn't feeling well. The best thing about Cat is, when things seem more serious, she gets serious too. She put Russell back in his cage and made Missy lay down, reading a book to her to help her feel better. I don't think it _worked_ but it did make her laugh so I guess it's a win in my book. That's how we spend the whole day, just hanging out or taking care of Missy when she's feeling sick, until it's almost dinner time.

"You really punched Tori in the face?" Missy giggles while Cat tells her about the time she sent me to the hospital.

"Yup! But it's okay because she told me to do it since she felt really bad for spraying me with nacho cheese and kissing my boyfriend at the time." I feel my face heat up as I remember everything leading up to the punch.

"Oh my god… I did do that, didn't I?" I shake my head, feeling awful.

"It's okay. I'm not mad anymore!" Cat grins and give me a side hug. "Besides, I have a new boyfriend now and you can't kiss him because Jade would be so mad!" I laugh nervously, knowing full well that Jade would probably never speak to me again if I kissed someone else, rightfully so.

"Girls, dinner's ready! Go wash up!" I watch Missy's expression change when her mom calls us and she seems to turn a pale shade of green…

"Missy…" She shakes her head and sits up, trembling."

"I'm fine, just a little nervous about eating, that's all." I hold her arm as she stands up, and walk with her to the doorway with Cat following behind.

"Maybe you shouldn't force yourself…"

"I need to eat something, Tori..." I resign because I know she's right. She'd barely eaten anything for hours and it won't be good for her or the baby to skip another meal.

"Alright, come on…" We walk with her to the bathroom and she washes her face and hands, looking considerably better afterwards. Cat takes her turn to wash her hands and I help Missy dry her face. "Just try to take it easy, okay?" She nods and leans against the wall with Cat when it's my turn. I wash my hands and face as well before checking my phone quickly. I haven't gotten a text from Jade since earlier… She _is_ working though, so I guess it's only fair that she'd be busy… I put my phone away and leave the bathroom, walking with Cat and Missy to the dining room. Mrs. Davis is setting plates on the table and Mr. Davis is already seated. He looks up from his tablet and nods to each of us before going back to his work.

"Hello girls." We take turns greeting him and sit down. I've really only met her father a few times, but Missy always speaks highly of him. I sit beside Cat and Missy starts to sit across from us but her mom taps her arm.

"Sweetie, help me bring the food in." Missy nods, pushing the chair back in, and I watch as she goes into the kitchen with her mom. They come back out a few minutes later and Missy seems happier, though not by much to be fair. They set the food on the table and it looks pretty good, even though I can't really identify most of it. Missy sets down a large baking dish and looks at Cat and I as we look everything over.

"This is Irish food. My mom makes it all homemade and it's really good. She actually made a few of my favorite things."

"I've had a few Irish foods before, when I was really little. My grandma on my mom's side used to make them before she passed away. I can't remember what it was, but she made these little potato things that I liked more than anything else." I look around the table, hoping that there might be some.

"Oh, you mean Boxty? Those are just potato pancakes. I think she made those too actually."

"I did. I know it's not your grandma's recipe, but I hope you'll like them just the same." Mrs. Davis sets down a platter and I see them. They look just how I remember them too. She helps us load up our plates while explaining everything that's on the table. There's the potato pancakes, Shepherd's pie, and brown bread, the only things I recognize, and then there's the Drisheen¹, Barmback², and Coddle³. I avoid the drisheen after Mrs. Davis tells us it's blood pudding, and am not surprised to see Cat do the same. I am, however, very surprised to see Missy eating it without an issue. I guess she's used to it since she's grown up eating this stuff her whole life and my family stopped eating it after my grandma passed away.

We chat a bit while eating but dinner remains fairly uneventful. Everything is fine until we're all finishing our food and Mrs. Davis begins gathering our plates. She takes all of ours but stops beside Missy.

"Michelle? Honey, are you feeling alright?" Missy looks up as her mom motions to her plate. "You've hardly eaten anything… I hope you're not getting sick."

"I'm fine mom. I'm just not that hungry, that's all…" Mrs. Davis sets everything down and cups Missy's face in her hands, inspecting her while Missy tries to pull away. "Mom…."

"You've been throwing up, haven't you?" I raise an eyebrow, mildly impressed by how perceptive her mom is and Missy steals a glance at me before nodding.

"Yeah… How can you tell?"

"I'm your mother, sweetheart. I know when you're not feeling well. Besides, you look the same way I did when I was pregnant with you." I inhale while taking a drink of water and cough when it comes out of my nose. Cat starts laughing and hands me a napkin while I glare at her and stand up. Her mom doesn't realize just how spot on she is….. "Tori? Are you alright dear?"

"Yes Ma'am, I'm okay. Cat just made a funny face and it made me laugh, that's all."

"I did?" Cat just sits there, confused and feeling her face, and I excuse myself to clean myself off. When I come back, Mrs. Davis is still checking Missy over, and asking her question after question.

"Did you eat anything strange today? What about at school? I never did like you eating from that food truck…"

"Mom, I'm fine. Can I go now?" She sounds very irritated and she looks just as upset.

"Michelle, I want to make sure that you don't have anything contagious. What if your friends get sick too?"

"They're not going to get sick, alright?! It's not contagious so just leave me alone!"

"Missy…" I try to step in to keep her from getting herself all worked up, but she's not having it and she completely ignores me.

"Missy, calm down. There's no reason to get so upset with your mother."

"Why are you acting like this? You know how I worry when you're sick."

"Well I'm not sick, alright? I'm not sick and I won't get my friends sick." She starts to walk away but her mother grabs her arm.

"I don't know where all this attitude is coming from, but I'm not liking it." She tenses up and pulls away from her mom, turning around. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm pregnant, okay?! Are you happy now? I'm pregnant, that's why I've been throwing up!"

Everything goes quiet and Mrs. Davis lets go of her arm. Missy seems just as shocked as her parents and she takes a step towards her mom, trying to come up with something to say. Before she can get anything out, her father grabs his wife's arm and drags her away, pushing her into the kitchen before coming back over to Missy.

"I want you out of this house. Now." Whoa, wait. Where the hell did that come from?

"Dad-" She starts but he cuts her off.

"Now! After everything we've done for you, everything we've put up with, you decide to get pregnant?! I knew letting you be friends with this girl and her girlfriend would only lead you down the wrong path." I flinch, taking a step back. Is he talking about Jade and I?

"Mr. Davis, you can't kick her out. She's your daughter."

"That's not my daughter. That's a filthy whore and I want nothing to do with her." He turns back to her and takes a step towards her. "Pack your shit and get out. You better not be here when I get back." He stomps out of the dining room and we hear the front door slam. Missy just stands there and sobs, fists clenched. Cat is huddled behind me, holding my hand and shaking, and I'm just at a loss for words.

"I shouldn't have told them… I should have just kept my mouth shut…"

"Missy… I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have-"

It's not your fault… He's right, I am a whore…" She runs out of the room and goes to her room. I follow her, bringing the frightened Cat with me, and shut the door. She's stuffing things into a backpack and crying while Jack sniffs her all over and brushes against her, whining. Cat goes over to Russell and holds him, trying not to cry too because she hates confrontation.

"You're not a whore. Don't listen to him." I grab her hands and try to get her to calm down. "He just needs time to cool down, that's all."

"Tori, he just kicked me out of the house. I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing…" She becomes more distraught and pulls her hands away to wipe her eyes. "Oh God… Where am I going to go? I can't go to my aunt's house. She blames me for Cassidy getting arrested…" I get an Idea and silently pray that Jade doesn't kill me for this.

"Come stay with me." Missy looks at me, shocked and confused.

"What?"

"Stay at my place. I have the extra room and my parents wouldn't mind at all. Please." She stares at me for a moment and she looks like she's thinking, then she sniffles and nods her head.

"Alright…" Thank god… Now she's got a place to stay. The next thing will be to try and figure out how to tell MY parents that she's pregnant. I know for a fact that they wouldn't judge her over it and I now my mom will want to make sure she's okay…

"Okay. I'll help you pack up everything you want to bring and I'll call my dad to come pick us up. Cat? We're moving the slumber party to my house, okay?"

"I wanna go home…" I stop what I'm doing and look over to Cat. She's crying and petting Russell and it's then that I realize how much she's being affected by all of this too. I go up to her and rub her back, trying to dry her face.

"Hey, hey. Cat...don't cry Kitten, it's going to be okay… I have a very important job for you, okay? I need you to do it because you'll do it better than the both of us." Her lip quivers as she looks up at me.

"What is it?"

"I need you to get all of Russell's things put in a bag and then I need you to hold him to keep him safe. Can you do that?"

"Yeah…" She calms down and that seems to keep her distracted while I help Missy pack. We stuff most of her clothes into a big suitcase and she starts grabbing knick knacks and random things off her shelves before bursting into tears.

"Tori, I can't take it all… There's just no room for everything…" She becomes distraught and I do the only thing I can think of. I take my backpack and start putting things in there. I only packed pjs, toiletries and my meds so there's a ton of room.

"Put everything you can fit in here. Cat, can we borrow your bag too?" She nods and sits on the floor with Russell and Jack, keeping them both calm as we frantically move around the room to pack everything we can. There's plenty that we don't need to pack so that saves time, and when we're almost done I start calling up my dad. I explain the situation and he is far from thrilled that Missy's been kicked out, but doesn't even give me a chance to ask if she can stay with us. He just tells me she'll be fine with us and I feel the biggest wave of relief hit me. He says he'll be here to pick us up in a few minutes and then he hangs up.

"And you're sure he was okay with it? I don't want to be in the way…"

"You won't be in the way, I promise. Not, let's get these bags outside before your father gets back…" I open the door and Mrs. Davis is standing there, ready to knock.

"Mom?..." Mrs. Davis looks around her, hesitant, and then rushes into the room, hugging Missy.

"Michelle, I'm so sorry…" Missy breaks right there and starts bawling ino her mom's shirt.

"He's making me leave, Mom… He called me a whore…"

"Mrs. Davis, isn't there something you can do? Can't you talk to him?"

"My husband doesn't listen to reason, I'm afraid… It how his parents raised him. Sex before marriage and having a child out of wed-lock are two huge no-no's for him..." Mrs. Davis wipes away her own tears before Missy's and then hands her an envelope. "Take this. I'll try to get more to you when I can…"

"Mom… I-" We hear a door slam and Missy stuffs the envelope into one of her bags. I slip Mrs. Davis my number and tell her to call me when she wants to check on her daughter. She thanks me, hugs Missy one last time, and then hurries away. A moment later, Mr. Davis comes into the room, still fuming.

"I thought I told you to be gone before I got back." I step between him and his daughter and stand firm.

"We're only waiting for my father to pick us up, then we'll be out of your hair." He tries to stare me down, but if there's anything I've learned since dating Jade, it's the cold stare down that hits you in your soul. He leaves the room after a moment, grumbling, and Missy sits on the bed, looking exhausted.

"Thank you…"

"Don't worry about it. Let's just get you out of here."

We each put on a backpack, Missy carrying two, and I grab the suitcase while Cat carries Russel's cage. We must look crazy, walking out like this with a large German Shepherd following us, but Missy seems noticeably less tense once we're out of the house which makes me feel a little better. My dad shows up and helps us put everything into the car before we all get in. Missy in the front and Cat and I in the back with the animals.

"Tori…?" I look over at Cat while she pets Russell in his cage. She's still pouting and I can see fresh tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Cat?" I ask her, concerned for the sudden mood shift again.

"You knew that Missy was pregnant, right?"

"Uh…" I bite my lip, trying to figure out how to answer her question without upsetting her. I give up and decide to just be honest, knowing she'll understand because she's Cat. "Yeah… I knew." That doesn't bring out the reaction I was hoping for and she seems to become more upset.

"Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I wouldn't keep it a secret?" I'm surprised at that and try to come up with an excuse.

"No, I-"

"I'm not stupid, Tori... Just because my ADHD makes me ditzy sometimes, that doesn't make me a moron. I would have kept it secret if you told me how important it was…"

"Cat..."

"Stop treating me like a child…" She puts her head down and avoids looking at me. I sigh and put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Cat… I never thought that it bothered you.. I won't do it again, okay?" She nods and dries her eyes before petting Jack as he rests his head on her knee.

The rest of the drive is quiet and I really have to give it to my dad. He looked livid when we saw Missy's dad watching from the house and he looked ready to tear him a new one, but he stayed in control and made sure we had everything before getting us out of there. Even now, during the whole drive, he hasn't said a single word. He probably wants to make this as easy as possible for her… When we pull into the driveway, my mom is already outside waiting for us and she hugs Missy tight when she gets out of the car.

"Oh, you poor thing… I'm so sorry for what you had to go through…" Missy seems uncomfortable but she hugs her back.

"It's okay, Mrs. Vega… Thank you for being okay with me staying here…"

"You can stay for as long as you want. Don't even worry about it, okay? Our home is your home." Dad, Cat, and I bring everything inside and we put it all in Trina's old room. Throughout the past month, she had more of her stuff shipped out and everything else was put in the attic, so the only things left in the room was a few posters and the bedroom set.

"You don't think Trina will be mad, do you?" My dad shakes his head as we set everything in the middle of the room and Cat puts Russell's cage on the dresser.

"No, I think your sister would be proud of you for helping a friend through something this big."

"You really think so?" He nods and pats my back before we head back downstairs. Missy is sitting at the table with a cup of hot chocolate, talking to my mom and telling her everything while she pets Jack. He really is such a good dog…. He always seems to know when someone is upset and stays by them to make them feel better. I'll have to make sure he gets an extra treat and an extra long walk later.

My parents both get angry again and we have to talk my dad out of going to her house and punching her dad. Last thing we want is for him to get arrested… I consider texting Jade, to let her know what's going on, but she gets mad when I bother her at work… I'll just wait it out and tell her when I see her tomorrow, though I can imagine her reaction and it's definitely not good. I'm not going against what I said though. I'm letting Missy stay here and Jade will just have to deal with it. Whether she likes it or not, Missy is a friend now and I'll treat her how I treat all of my friends.

* * *

 **Missy is PrEgAnAnAt?! (I'm so sorry, I couldn't help myself so I'm just going to blame the coffee and energy drink I had today.)**

 **1: Drisheen is a type of blood pudding, as stated in the fic, and I DO NOT LIKE IT.**

 **2: Barmback is a type of bread and it is soooooooooooooo good.**

 **3: Coddle is essentially just a stew with sausages, potatoes, carrots, and various spices, though traditionally is it made with whatever leftovers you had. Old school, but delicious and always different. -Mercy Vale**


	18. Where To Go From Here

**Hey everyone! So, as a little life update, I want to say something: WORK IS HARD D:**

 **Okay, jokes aside, I've had so much fun working and learning new things, but damn… I come home feeling like death warmed over and I'm really taking advantage of my days off haha I refuse to let anything keep me from continuing this though, even if it means pushing things aside to get new chapters finished. I know this one had more filler than usual but not every chapter can be packed with plot points. Gotta have some build up sometimes! Now to go sleep for 3 hours and then go to work… I also want to thank all of you who have stayed positive throughout this whole thing. Even when I hit low points in my writing, there's always someone who picks me right back up. It means the world to me to know that people actually read this, you know. So, thank you so much and I hope to see you soon with the next chapter. Emojis don't work here so imagine like, the BIGGEST heart lol Much love guys -MercyVale**

 **P.S.: A special thank you to AlexWolfe for the awesome PM. You are a sweetheart and it means a lot!**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Where to go From Here

(Tori)

"Do you really have to report this, Mr. Vega?" Missy looks at my dad as he writes down everything she's told him. He's going straight to the station after this and wants to charge her father with abandonment. Missy is 17, so her father still had to provide everything for her.

"He can't get away with this, Missy. He's done something wrong and he has to face the consequences."

"But what if nothing comes of it? It'll only make him madder…"

"I will do everything I can to make sure he receives the maximum punishment for this." Missy is pacing in the kitchen with Jack following her, my mom is trying to make her sit down and eat something, and Cat is in the living room, talking on the phone with her parents to tell them she's at my house now. I'm sitting at the table, trying to think of ways to help her, with none of them sounding good, then I look over at my dad.

"You might be able to charge him with Emotional Neglect, as well as Physical neglect, but there's not much evidence showing how severe it is. As far as I know, this is the only time he could have ever acted like this. He could have been the perfect father and husband up until now and the judge would see that. He'd barely get a misdemeanor, so he'd really only pay a fine and _maybe_ serve a day or two in jail." I sit up and rub my leg. It's sore from carrying her stuff earlier. I look around when it gets quiet and I see everyone staring at me in shock. "What? I've gone to work with Dad so many times growing up and it gets boring, so I read the law books he has in his office." My dad just shakes his head, sighing.

"If you ever wanted to switch from singing and dancing to, you'll make one hell of a cop." I just shrug. Maybe I would, but I'd rather not have a job that involves me holding a gun… "Okay, going back to what you said though, I think you may have read an older book. The fine part is right, but he'd be serving more than just a day or two. This would definitely be a Class 1 Misdemeanor, so he'd get a $1,000 fine, and he'd serve 6 months in jail, more if the court finds more evidence."

"My dad would go to jail? What about my mom? My dad is the one who works… who would take care of her?" I didn't think about that...but that's not why we're here. We need to deal with her dad so he can pay for the way he treated her.

"Well, she'd probably have to get a job, so things might be different at first, but I'm sure she'd be fine." She crosses her arms and turns away from all of us.

"I'm not doing it."

"What? Missy, you must do something. Are you willing to let him get away with treating you like this? You deserve better, right?"

"Yeah, but so does my mom. Maybe I'm being a little selfish here, but I don't exactly want to see my mom struggling because of me."

"Missy," My dad stands up, tucking his notepad away. "You do understand that, as an officer of the law, I still have to report this, don't you? Whether or not you want to do it yourself, I have to." Her face falls and she looks close to tears.

"But I don't want to file charges against him... Can't you just drop it?"

"I can't. You're still a minor so legally, you are still his responsibility. I have no choice, I'm sorry." She bursts into tears and runs out of the kitchen, going upstairs to Trina's/her room and slamming the door. She was really upset… Maybe Cat could help her feel better while we all figure this out…

"Cat? I need you to do something for me. It's really important, not just pretend important, okay?" She puts her phone away before standing up and coming over to me. "Go and try to make Missy feel better. Just talk to her or distract her or something… She nods and gives me a small smile.

"I had a candy bar in my backpack. I could share that with her. Candy always makes me feel better…"

"Hey, if you can help her, I'll buy you a ton of candy. Maybe even some bibble, but you can't tell Jade, okay?" Cat gets a little excited and nods, going upstairs. I pull another chair close to me and rest my leg on it, sighing as I keep massaging the sore muscles. Dad flips through everything he's written down and Mom hands me some water with Advil.

"You need to take it easy, Tori. You really should have let your father carry that stuff for you."

"I know… but what's done is done. I'll relax for the rest of the night." I toss back a couple of pills and drink some water. Dad grabs his jacket to go to the station and he tells us he's going to get the report put in before it gets late.

Mom starts cleaning up and I take Jack upstairs with me to check on Missy and Cat. I slowly open the door, peeking in and see Missy is sitting in a corner and Cat is sitting beside her while they share a bar of chocolate. Missy looks up when I come in but doesn't say anything as I shut the door and go over to them, sitting on her other side. Cat passes me a piece of chocolate and I nibble at it silently until Missy finally speaks up.

"I don't want anyone to find out I'm pregnant… After everything that happened with you, me, and Jade, they'll only make fun of me more and I-I can't go through that again…" I look to Cat and we nod to each other before we both put an arm around her.

"Missy… Even if they did find out, they wouldn't dare say anything. We'd never let that happen, you know that. Jade has doesn't a great job keeping the cheer squad away from you, right?"

"Yeah...but-" She tries to object but I stop her, shaking my head.

"No. Everything is going to turn out okay, alright? Just trust us to take care of you." I stand up and help her to her feet with Cat's help. "Come on, let's get you some fresh air." We go downstairs together after Cat feeds Russell and we head to the backyard. I sit Missy in a chair on the back deck and then get us all something to drink. When I come back outside, Missy is leaning against Cat and tearing up. I set the tray down and grab a tissue, drying her eyes. She lets me but doesn't look at either of us. Instead, she stares down at her hands as she fumbles with the hem of her shirt.

"I'm sorry… You two got involved in all of this… You'd be better off if none of this happened…"

"It's not your fault, Missy…" Cat hugs her, wanting her to stop crying before she starts crying as well. "Your daddy was really mean to you and you didn't deserve that…"

"I did deserve it…" I grab the glass of water I brought out for her and without hesitating, I proceed to dump it on her. Cat pulls away in time and Missy stares at me in shock before standing up, furious. "Tori?! What the hell was that for?!" I give her a smile and stand back up.

"That's the Missy I was looking for." She grabs for me and I slide back quickly. "Almost got me there."

"Tori! I'm gonna kick your ass!" She starts towards me and I take off running, laughing as I do.

"Ha ha! You said ass!" I grin and try to keep a healthy distance between us without straining myself. Despite the ache in my leg, it feels really good to run again, and it feels even better to have taken her mind off of something. Missy is closer to grabbing me a few times, but I think she gave up on the revenge. She laughs and just runs around with my, with Cat following us soon after she realizes Missy isn't angry anymore. We just run around with Jack chasing us with his ball and we just have a great time. It's almost like when I was a kid… We just have fun and it's good to see Missy laughing again.

When it starts to get dark, we just lay on the grass and catch our breath. Mom brings us fresh drinks and we stare at the purple-orange sky as the sun sets. I look over at Missy and she seems lost in thought but thankfully, she seems in much higher spirits.

"Tori?" I look back at her and see her sitting up, smiling at me.

"Yeah?" I sit up as well and brush the grass off my clothes.

"Thanks…" I stop and give her a smile in return, reaching over Cat to pat Missy's arm.

"It's what friends are for, seriously. Now, why don't we go inside and-"

"Look! Jade's here!" Cat immediately jumps up and runs to the house, and I look over in surprise, seeing a paint speckled Jade coming this way and not looking happy. Cat gives her a hug and Jade returns it, but her expression doesn't change.

"Uh oh…" I slowly stand up and walk towards her with Missy doing the same. "H-hey Jade… I meant to call you…" She doesn't say anything, she just wraps her arms around me, and I feel her tense body relax. I expected her to be angry… "Jade?... I'm sorry if I worried you…" She pulls away and slowly looks me over.

"I went to Missy's house after you wouldn't answer my calls. Her mom explained everything before her dad threatened to call the cops on me for trespassing..." She cups my face and kisses my forehead. The forehead kisses are nothing new, but she never acts this nicely with friends around, especially Missy, since she likes to appear tough. "Don't ever scare me like that again please…"

"But...I thought you were working…"

"Mitch brought a few extra people in so we were able to finish much earlier than expected. I was heading home to shower when I tried calling you, but you never answered." She looks over to Missy, her normal scowl slowly returning. "Hey." Missy freezes and avoids eye contact.

"H-hi…" Jade lets go of me and slowly reaches towards her, like she's thinking about it. Missy shuts her eyes, expecting Jade to be upset with her for putting me in possible danger, but Jade just rests a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Missy is stunned and almost doesn't answer while in her state of shock, but she slowly nods after a moment.

"Y-yeah… Tori and Cat have been looking out for me…"

"Good." This is so out of character for Jade...I'm starting to worry myself when she looks back at me. I guess she knows what I'm thinking because she just shakes her head and whispers to me that she'll explain it to me later.

Jade takes my hand and we all head back inside where mom just finished putting together a tray of snacks for us.

"Hello girls. I made plenty, so please help yourself." Jade grabs a bowl of fruit salad and leans against the counter, digging into it.

"Jade… You haven't eaten yet, have you?" I watch her face turn red as she takes another bite of the fruit salad, not looking at me...

"I'm eating now..." I sigh and take her hand when she finishes. Missy and Cat sit in the living room and Cat keeps her distracted by talking about Russell. I bring Jade upstairs and dig through the drawer where she keeps some clothes here. "Tori, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting your pajamas. You've been working all day, so I know you're tired. Plus, it's getting late anyway, so go take a shower and I'll get you something to eat, some real food and not just a snack." I hand her the clothes and push her into the bathroom with a towel before she can protest. I hear the water turn on and head downstairs, asking my mom to borrow her keys.

With the keys in hand, I tell the girls I'll be right back and then I leave, driving to that diner that Jade and I go to all the time. I get her favorite, a chicken parm sandwich with extra cheese and a Caesar salad, and I also get hot chocolates for everybody. While I'm waiting for Jade's food, I play with a claw machine by the entrance. I'm not too good at it though and it takes me almost 10 tries to win something, a little stuffed unicorn. I decide to give it to Missy since Jade and I always give our prizes to Cat and I think this will put a smile on Missy's face. I sit down to wait, and I start rubbing my leg again. It's sore… I really should have taken it easy today, but the days event really prevented that... I get called for the food and I pay for it, leaving with the food, drinks, and unicorn.

While driving home, I think back to when Jade showed up at the house. She seemed upset but she didn't yell or anything… Granted, she appeared to be more relieved than anything, but she wouldn't have just dropped it like that. Though, to be fair, we've been arguing a lot lately, so this definitely more welcome than another fight. I get home and thank mom for letting me borrow the car before I give her one of the cups of hot cocoa.

"Oh honey, you didn't have to do that, but thank you." She kisses me on the cheek and goes to her and Dad's room. I go upstairs as well and find Cat and Missy in 'Missy's' room, Jade too, to my surprise.

"Hey Tori! You're back!" Cat goes to hug me, and I quickly set down everything so I don't spill the drinks or drop Jade's food.

"Careful Cat, you almost knocked her over." Jade comes up to us and gives me a kiss before wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"It's okay, nobody got hurt and no food was damaged." I chuckle and pass Missy and Cat their hot cocoa cups before pulling out Jades food.

"Really, Babe?" She smirks and takes the containers from me, opening them to find the sandwich and salad. "This looks really good… You didn't have to buy anything, Tori. I would have been fine with just a frozen pizza or something."

"You work too hard for a frozen anything, now eat." I make her sit down and hand her a cup of cocoa before grabbing mine and sitting beside her. Jade starts eating and they go back to what they were talking about before I came in.

"My moms are both lawyers. If anything happens, they'll take care of it, so don't even worry." Jade looks over at Missy, taking a bite of her sandwich. I guess they were talking about what happened today. "If your mom ever divorced your dad, I'm 99.99% certain she'd get almost everything as a result, but it's up to her if she wants to leave him."

"I don't know if she'd leave him over this...it's just one thing. They've been so happy with each other until now." She begins to look upset again and she pulls her knees to her chest, holding her head with one hand. "What if they get divorced because of me? My dad will hate me even more…"

"Missy…" I start to stand up but Jade beats me to it. She hands me her food and drink and kneels beside Missy.

"Hey, this isn't your fault, and if they did get divorced, it wouldn't be your fault either."

"And how the hell do you know that?" Missy scoffs. She's never like this towards Jade, so I know she's gotta be really upset.

"Because it's the first thing that went through my head when my parents got a divorce. I blamed myself and I had no one to tell me otherwise until my mom figured out what I was going through. No matter how much I wanted to tell myself, or even still tell myself. I know deep down that it's not my fault that they split. They relationship just wasn't meant to be, that's all."

"But everything was fine until this…" She motions to her stomach. "Things would probably still be normal if this hadn't happened."

"That's on your father. He had no reason to react the way he did. If anything were to happen, it'd be because of him, not you." Missy sighs, hanging her head down.

"I guess…"

"Look at it this way. He doesn't deserve to have you as a daughter if he's going to treat you like this, and your mom certainly deserves better for even putting up with him. You told him the truth instead of hiding it, which I can respect."

"Exactly, you were honest with him. You did the right thing." I kick myself mentally for being such a hypocrite. I have no right to talk about honesty. I think about earlier when I made Missy swear not to tell Jade what we talked about. How can I praise Missy for something I can't even bring myself to do? I can't keep it from Jade forever and she deserves to know… I watch as she stands up again, sitting beside me and taking her food back. Missy stays quiet and she seems to be thinking and Cat pets Jack when he comes up to her. She's been mostly quiet throughout this whole thing, but I also remember what she told me earlier. She's right. She's not a kid, and it's not fair for me or anyone else to treat her that way...

Jade finishes eating and tosses her trash out before laying back on the bed, stretching. She looks so much more tired now, now that she has a full stomach. I know that she's really only doing this job to get work credits at school, but she works herself too hard...

"Man, that was some good food… I feel ready to pass out..." She sighs and combs her fingers through her still damp hair, yawning.

"Want to head to bed?" I smile down at her and brush some stray hair from her face. She nods and tilts her face into my touch.

"Oh yeah. I get to spend the night with my girl before she has the best birthday ever." Jade chuckles and sits up, rubbing her eyes. Cat yawns and pets Jack as she leans against Missy's shoulder.

"I'm tired too, Tori…" I chuckle and stand up, going to the closet to grab blankets and pillows for Cat and Missy.

"Alright. We should probably head to bed. It's almost 10 o'clock. These should be enough blankets. Trina's room doesn't really get that cold, but you never know. Cat, did you pack Mr. Long Neck?" She nods and digs through her bag, pulling out a fat purple giraffe.

"I never forget him." I chuckle and nod, glad I don't have to hunt down a stuffed animal of mine for her to borrow for the night. I pull out the unicorn I won earlier and hand it to Missy, smiling at her confusion.

"What's this?"

"I got it from that claw machine where Jade always win something for Cat. I actually managed to win something, and I thought you'd like it." She takes is and stares at it, blushing just slightly.

"Thank you…" I smile more and pat her back before standing.

"What about me?" Jade pokes me with her foot, smirking.

"You already have the bear I got for you on our second date. Besides, the only thing you should be cuddling is me." I grin and kiss her cheek. "Come on, let's get some sleep." I get Jack to get up on the bed and lay down before giving him a kiss on the nose and an ear scratch. I'll have Jade with me tonight so he can keep them company to help Missy feel better.

We say goodnight to Cat and Missy and go over to my room. I make Jade wait outside the room while I put on my own pajamas and I fix the last button before letting her in. She checks her phone and puts it to charge before getting into bed beside me. She pulls me close to her and wraps her arms around me before sighing.

"So, how was your first day with that cast off? You took it easy, right?" Guess I probably shouldn't tell her about the heavy lifting and all the walking around I did today…

"I did, mostly. There was a lot of resting in between all the craziness."

"Good. You just got that thing off. I don't want you hurting yourself." I feel myself blush and I'm super grateful that it's dark in here so she can't see me. She definitely wouldn't be happy to know how active I was today…

"I probably did too much today anyway, so I want to relax as much as possible. Let that be my birthday gift." I rest my chin on her shoulder and feel her begin to rub my back.

"I think that can be arranged." We lay in silence for a bit as I relax into her. Her gentle rubbing of my back changes and she moves her hand to my side. I tense just slightly, not because she's close to my scar, but because she always tries to move her hand under my shirt when she does this. It's not that I don't want to be intimate with her. It just scares every time I think about it. The first and only time I was intimate with someone, they turned around and cheated on me. I know Jade would never do that to me. I know how she feels towards me, but my anxiety gets so bad and I always let it get to me. I let _him_ get to me, and he's been out of the picture for so long, until now at least.

I feel Jade move her hand under my shirt and I lay perfectly still. Maybe if I don't move, it'll be okay… She touches my bare skin and moves her hand up and down my back before moving it to the front to touch my stomach. I can't help but flinch and her hand immediately moves away as I hear her sigh. She lets go of me and I feel the whole bed shift. When I open my eyes, she's turned away from me and facing the wall.

"Jade? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Vega. Go to sleep."

"But…" She glances over her shoulder at me and I shrink back. She...has tears in her eyes? "Jade… Why are you crying? Is it something I did? Whatever it is, I didn't mean-"

"Do you love me, Tori?" The question comes out of nowhere and it catches me off guard.

"Of course, I love you. Why would you even ask that?"

"Because you always seem bothered when I touch you. You always look like you're in pain or something until I stop. Do you just not like it when I touch you?"

"Jade, it's not that, really."

"It's not like I'm this crazy sex driven person either, you know. It doesn't bother me if you want to wait, but it just seems like everything I do bothers you nowadays. We fight all the time, I barely touch you unless it's hugs or kisses, and you avoid any conversation involving us being intimate." This has been getting to her more than I thought… I didn't think she noticed that much. I can't keep doing this… "Just...if you're still not sure about us, then at least have the decency to tell me, okay? Don't just string me along like the others." Others…?

"Jade… I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in how I've felt about certain things, that I never even took into consideration how you would feel about it." I move the blanket back and sit up to look directly at her. "I do love you, more than I thought possible to love anyone, that's why I get nervous about you touching me. I have a few more demons in my closet that I haven't been honest about and you deserve to know. I promised you no more secrets and I broke that promise on day one." She sits up and dries her face before looking at me.

"Then tell me. Don't just leave me in the dark about something like this." I reach towards her hesitantly, taking her hand. Sometimes I forget that, underneath the stone-cold exterior, Jade is a sensitive person just like me. She has feelings like any normal girl our age and she can get hurt just like one too. She's just better at hiding it…

"Okay. I'll tell you everything..."

* * *

Jade and I sit up and talk for the next hour. I'd hadn't seen her so angry in a while, not since I was attacked, but she was close to blowing up when I told her how Steven convinced me to sleep with him, only to then cheat. She said a few choice words that I can rarely ever bring myself to say. It took a lot of convincing to get her to see that I do love her, and I do want to be with her, but because of my past, I worry about what might happen after I let my guard down.

"It doesn't matter how long we wait. It could be 5 minutes, 5 days, or 5 years. When we're together, I want it to be special and I want you to feel special. I love you, Tori. I would never hurt you like that asshole did, and I'll do everything I can to prove it to you, no matter how long it takes." She holds me tight as I sob into her shoulder. I never expected to start crying but when I finally opened up to her about how hurt and betrayed I felt, it was like the floodgates were opened on my tears. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and she just let me cry.

"I love you too… I'm so sorry for never telling you, I was just so scared…"

"Never be afraid to talk to me about anything. I will always be understanding, okay? I will never, ever judge you for what happened in the past." I nod and wipe my eyes.

"No more secrets. And I really promise this time…" I don't know how long we sit there, holding onto each other in the dead of night, but when we finally lay down together to try and get some sleep, Jade's phone goes off. She grabs it, shutting it off, and sighs, smiling.

"I set this alarm, expecting you to be at your little slumber party and for me to be home in my own bed." She chuckles and lifts my chin to give me the softest kiss I've ever received. "Happy birthday, Tori."


	19. Burning Rubber

**I freaking finished the chapter... Please excuse the late-ness on this one. I know I posted a few days ago on my twitter that the newest chapter would be live soon, but then I got really freaking sick.. Literally, I'm typing this on the night that it's being posted and I've already hurled 4 times in the last 2 hours. _PRAY FOR ME._ No, jokes aside, I think I just have a stomach bug, but it's _really_ kicking my ass... Now to sleep for 6 hours before I have to go to work. Sorry for the rambling but right now, my brain is on it's last leg and I think I'm gonna puke again. Love ya - Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Burning Rubber

(Jade)

As hard as I tried, I didn't get much sleep last night… All I could do was lay there and think about what Tori told me. She slept with Steven…the same guy that knocked up Missy. Honestly, I don't care that she slept with him, that's her business and I'm not going to judge. I care about how much of a dick he was to her to lead her on and use her like that. I guess I was lucky that my first time was with Beck. At least he was considerate, before and after the fact. That doesn't mean I don't know what she's going through though. Since we were being 100% open with each other, I opened up and told her about Alexis and the other girls. I haven't seen most of them in over a year, but I see Alex around every now and then. She knows better than to come near me, but I have been wondering if she knows about Tori. I doubt she'd even care, but she was the only one out of the few girls that my dad paid to date me, that I had real, genuine feelings for...

I told Tori about the girls a long time ago, when we had our first big fight, but I never really went into detail and she respected my privacy enough to not ask. I dated all of them and I liked them fine enough, but Alex was the only one I actually slept with. I think she had feelings for me too, but mine were long gone once I found out she was working for my dad. She did apologize to me after I broke up with her and I felt bad, but I wasn't going to fall for another trick. I'm glad I didn't, because now I have Tori, and after everything we've been through, we seem to have full trust with each other now.

The sun comes up and I slip quietly out of her bed, letting her sleep while I go wash my face. I'm exhausted… Getting that little house finished up took a lot out of me, even with the extra people to help… I'm glad we got it done though. That's one less thing I have to worry about. I grab one of Tori's scrunchies and pull my hair out of my face before turning the water on hot. Once my face is washed, I start brushing my teeth and thinking about the day ahead of us. Tori's 18th birthday… I know she's really been looking forward to it and I want to make sure she has the best day ever. Nothing crazy, just a nice calm day like she asked for.

There's a loud bang and I suddenly get a chill down my spine, wondering what the hell that was, and then there's a familiar, screechy, obnoxious voice coming from downstairs.

"I'm hooooooooooome!" I spit toothpaste all over the mirror and cough as I wipe my mouth, startled. Trina. Before I can do anything, Tori's door flies open, and she runs downstairs.

"Trina!" I clean the mirror, rinse my mouth, and follow after her. Trina's standing at the bottom of the stairs and as I watch Tori cry and hug her sister, I get this weird feeling through me, like I'm going to start crying too. I wonder if Jake would do that too if I showed up at Dad's house… I'm pulled from my thoughts when Trina motions to me, extending an arm. I give my best huffy sigh, but walk up to her, smiling.

"Hey Ursula, it's been a while."

"It really has, Cruella." She grins and pulls me into a hug, which I return before lightly shoving her away. There's something different about her... "You've been taking good care of my baby sister, right?"

"You know it." I smirk and rest an arm on Tori's shoulder as she bounces around like Cat does after half a bag of Bibble. "You okay, Vega?" She just nods and has that goofy grin that I love.

"Trina's here for my birthday!" I can't help but grin as well as I watch her and chuckle. Tori's been looking forward to seeing Trina all week. It's been a month since she left, and Tori missed her like crazy.

"Alright, alright, let's not smother her. She just got here." I pick Tori up and carry her to the couch while Trina goes to the bathroom to freshen up. "Besides, I don't want you on your feet too much today." I set her down and adjust a pillow under her leg as the door opens again. Some guy walks in and sets down two suitcases, looking around.

"Uh… Can I help you?" Tori sits up and looks at me before looking at the guy again. Maybe he was Trina's Uber driver and left her luggage.

"Oh, my apologies. I shouldn't have just walked in like that. My name's Evan Taylor. I'm Trina's boyfriend." Whoa, boyfriend? And is that an accent? Not to mention he's pretty damn good looking. Where did she score this guy?

"Evan! I wanted you to wait outside to surprise them!" Trina comes back downstairs and comes over to him, holding onto his arm.

"I'm sorry, love. Won't happen again." He grins and puts an arm around her, and she just melts.

"Well… Since you're sorry, I guess it's fine." She smiles at him and I figure out why she seems different. She's in love, and very happy… It's here that I see just how much she and Tori really look like each other. Trina nudges him and brings him over to us, smiling. "Tori, Jade, this is Evan." I smile and extend my hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jade." He takes my hand and kisses it, something I didn't expect.

"I've heard much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." I feel my whole face flush and I mumble out a response as he moves on to greet Tori, who reacts the same way. I see Trina grinning at us, and I punch her playfully.

"Where'd you find Prince Charming?"

"We have all the same classes and we were matched as partners for a few projects. We got to know each other and found out we have a lot in common. I totally fell for the Australian accent, but he really is an amazing guy."

"He makes you happy." She gets this dreamy look in her eyes and nods, smiling more.

"He does…" I chuckle and jab her lightly with my elbow.

"That's good enough for me, but if he hurts you, they won't find the body." She jabs me back but smirks.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my future sister-in-law." My face gets hot again and I try to say something, but the words don't come. I just excuse myself and go into the kitchen to make coffee. While is brews, I hear new voices. Tori's parents are up now, and it sounds like Cat and Missy are as well. I make enough coffee for everyone and come into the living room with a tray of mugs.

"Everyone get it while it's hot." They all take a cup of coffee and make it the way they like while I just add some sugar to mine. The Vega's are all talking, and Cat and Missy are both ogling Trina's boyfriend. I just shake my head and sip my coffee, looking up when I hear a familiar jingle. Jack's up now and warily approaching the new guy. Evan reaches towards him, but Tori stops to warn him.

"Careful, he's nervous around strangers." Evan nods but continues to reach towards him. Jack sniff his hand and sits down, letting Evan pet him. "Whoa… Maybe he's finally gotten better around new people…" I think the same thing, but it also reminds me of the time I first met Tori's dog. He was shy with everyone, but he came right up to me…

"He's a smart mutt. I think this means we can trust you, Evan." I chuckle and set down my coffee and pet Jack when he rests his head in my lap. "Hey, you hungry?" He licks my hands and I smile, scratching his ears. Mrs. Vega gets up to start making a special breakfast for Tori and everyone and I join her in the kitchen, to help and to feed Jack.

"Breakfast is ready everyone! Come get it!" Mrs. Vega sets the last tray on the table as I set out plates and forks. Everyone comes in and sits down in awe at the breakfast feast we put together. Pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit salad, toast, and creamy wheat, but we mostly made that for Trina because it's her favorite. Mrs. Vega went all out on the pancakes, making Tori's favorite, Banana walnut, as well as blueberry, strawberry, and cinnamon. I helped to cook what I could, but it was mostly her and all I really did was make more coffee and make the fruit salad. Everyone's plates are stacked high with food, but I notice that Missy has hardly anything. I scowl, stand up, and fill her plate. I don't go too crazy, but I make sure she has a little bit of everything before setting the plate in front of her with a glass of orange juice.

"Eat up." She looks at me for a moment, but she does nod and eat the food, so I know it wasn't because she wasn't that hungry. She still feels weird about being here. I get it, but it's not healthy for her or the baby to eat so light. I feel another set of eyes on me and I look at Tori, who's leaning against the table and eating a piece of bacon. She's watching me with a raised eyebrow, and I know exactly what she's thinking. "I'll tell you later, promise." She nods and returns to her food. I will tell her, just not today. It's a serious topic and I'm not killing the mood of her birthday.

We all eat and talk, mostly swapping embarrassing stories about the birthday girl, until most of the food is gone and we're all full. Mr. and Mrs. Vega handle the cleanup and shoo us all into the living room where we sit and talk some more. Trina doesn't ask about Missy, probably assuming we all just had a sleepover, but we hear a lot about Trina's experiences at the new school. She seems to be having such a great time there and obviously, she's happy. Especially with her boyfriend. He seems like a pretty nice guy too. Tori seems to like him just fine and even the dog is calm around him.

"Alright Tori, ready for your presents?" Mr. Vega comes in, holding several boxes and Missy and Cat go upstairs while Trina digs through one of her bags. Everyone seems so excited, so I wait. I'll give her my present later… Tori starts bouncing again and I have to make her sit still.

"Yes!" She's given the pile of boxes and she starts opening them. It's mostly clothes and make up, and even a few posters for her room. I kinda like that Steven Universe one she got. Looks cool. When she gets to the last, smallest box, she opens it and her eyes seem to bulge out of her head. She drops the box and holds up the contents. A set of keys. No way… "You guys didn't…" Her mom smiles and gives her a nudge.

"It's right outside. Go take a look." Tori gets up and runs to the door with all of us following close behind. She bolts outside and from here, we can all see that there's a beautiful black and purple Mustang sitting in the driveway.

"It's my dream car…" She runs up to it and starts inspecting it and I stare in awe as well. It's not a classic like mine and that's not a bad thing... It's brand new and fucking gorgeous. It's not a flashy shade of purple either, it's like a midnight purple and it looks badass. I bet it's fast too… I bring myself back to Earth before I start drooling over the car more than Tori is. She runs back to her parent, hugging them, and I swear it looks like she's going to start crying again. "Thank you so much…"

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." She grins and looks back at the car, fiddling with the keys.

"You want to go for a drive, don't you?" I smirk and watch as she nods like a maniac.

"Can we? Please? Just look at her, she's begging for a test drive…"

"Let's open your other presents and then we can go."

"Okay!" We hurry back inside, and she proceeds to open the gifts from her sister, a new portable speaker/ Karaoke machine. "Wow! Thanks Trina! This would be perfect for when we go to the beach!"

"I thought you'd like it. Evan helped me pick it out when I told him you sing." She gives them both a hug and looks the speaker over again.

"Thank you, both of you. It's perfect." Cat and Missy take their turns and come over with their gifts. Cat has a new plush blanket for her and a bunch of candy which I take before Tori can open. "Hey!"

"You and I both know you can't handle candy well this early in the morning. You'll get it back after lunch." She sticks her tongue out at me and I feel compelled to do the same, but I contain the urge and watch as she opens the gift from Missy. It's the newest Katy Perry album and the entire t-shirt, necklace, earring set that came with it.

"Thank Missy! This is awesome!" Missy blushes and just nods, but you can tell she's happy.

"You're welcome." Tori looks over everything and stacks it all neatly before looking at me.

"You wanna go for that drive now, right?" She nods and grabs my hand.

"Yes please." I chuckle and stand up.

"Alright, but let's get your gifts put away first and change out of our pajamas, you dork." She grabs most of her gifts and I grab the rest, as well as the big speaker. We bring them upstairs while everyone switches to doing their own thing, whether it's watching tv or chatting. I set everything by Tori's dresser, and she shuts the door before grabbing some clothes.

"I want to wear that shirt that Missy got me. What do you think?" I pull on a fresh shirt and turn around, blushing when I see her bare stomach as she pulls down her shirt. I clear my throat and look the shirt over, trying not to look so flustered.

"L-looks good." She nods and turns back around to change her pants. I do the same and put on some black skinny jeans before I fold up my pajamas and set them on the dresser. One pair of socks and my boots later, and I'm all set to go. I wait for Tori to finish tying her sneakers and I text my moms, letting them know Tori and I are going out and should be stopping by the house sometime soon. When Tori's ready, we head downstairs, tell everyone we'll be back, and go out to her shiny new car with Jack following close behind us. We're getting buckled up while her dad is talking to her through the window, giving her a bunch of tips and generally asking her to be safe. She promises about a million times to be careful before she backs out of the driveway and takes off.

"Whoa! You could totally break the speed limit and not even notice…" She's right, the drive is smooth, and it handles like a beauty.

"Just be careful Vega. Not sure how you'd feel about going to jail for speeding, on your birthday. Especially since you still have gifts to open."

"I do? Oh! Your gift, right?"

"Nope, that's not until later. Let's head to my place."

"Alright." As Tori drives, I take out my phone and text Rachel, telling her we're heading there now instead so she needs to finish getting things ready. I sit back, getting comfortable and thinking about the gift I have waiting for her. I really hope she likes it…

"So… I talked to your mom while we were making breakfast. I get to take you out to a nice dinner tonight, if you want to go."

"Are you asking me out on a dinner date on my birthday, Ms. West?" She looks over at me and she has a smirk. "Not that I'd decline, of course."

"I hope you don't. I made reservations at that really nice Italian place that you like. But if you really don't want to go, I can call and cancel." I take my phone back out and pretend to pull up the number.

"No!" She grabs my phone and tosses it in the back with Jack. I just stare at her while she keeps driving and turns onto my street.

"Seriously, Vega!? I wasn't actually going to cancel, you ass!" I resist the urge to push her since she's driving and just cross my arms, shaking my head. She's really too much sometimes but God, I love this woman.

"I expect to have a nice dinner at Bonta' Del Forno with my beautiful girlfriend, so I'm not taking any chances." She laughs and I can't help but join in.

"You really are crazy, you know that?"

"Yup! Get used to it, Babe." I just chuckle and look back at Jack as he paws at my phone, checking it out.

"Your momma's lucky I love her, buddy, otherwise I'd have to spend all my time with you." He comes between us and uses the center console, wanting to be pet. I reach back and scratch his ears and giggle when he tries to lick my face. "Dude, you have to stop getting your slobber all over me." The car stops and I look out the window to see my house. I start getting out but notice Tori hasn't moved and has a funny look on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah… It's just…" She chuckles, shaking her head. "It's nothing big, just that I can't remember the last time I heard you giggle like that. It's cute." I feel myself blush and try to hide my smile.

"It'll _be_ the last time you hear it, if you tell anyone." I get out and let Jack out as well.

"I wouldn't think of it, beautiful." Tori takes my hand and gives me a kiss on the cheek before we go up to the door. After pulling out my keys, we walk inside and are met with confetti being thrown at us and loud shouts of,

"Surprise!" Tori grabs onto my arm and looks in shock at my mom, Rachel, Mitch, and his girlfriend Stephanie rush over to hug her. I try to hold them back, but they had backup, and Gypsy has me on the floor in no time.

"Damn it, Gypsy! You always do this!" I do my best to shove her off, but she's gotten bigger and weighs a ton. I just lay there and groan as she lays on top of me and licks my face. From where I'm lying, I can see Tori lost in the swarm of hugs and camera flashes. At least she seems to be having a good time.

"JJ! What are you doing down there?" Gypsy's moved off of me and I'm hoisted to my feet. I brush myself off and scowl at Rachel as she just grins and holds something behind her back.

"Oh yeah, I just love hanging out on the floor with your fat dog on me."

"Hey! Gypsy's not fat! She's just been eating more lately, you gank!"

"Yeah, yeah." I look at her again and squint my eyes. "What are you hiding?"

"Oh nothing, just a nice little surprise for- Now!" I'm grabbed from behind and Rachel puts something on my head.

"What the hell!" Whoever grabbed me suddenly lets go of me before there's a bright flash.

"I got it!" Rachel starts jumping around and looking at her phone and Stephanie comes over to look at it as well, laughing. I grab at what's on my head and look at it in disbelief. They actually got a party hat on me. I growl and crumple it up in my hands.

"Rachel, you're gonna delete that picture…" She giggles and backs away, dangling the phone in front of me.

"Fat chance. I've got out new Christmas card right here." I take a step towards her and she takes off running with me chasing after.

"Rachel! Either you delete that pic, or I'll break your phone!" I chase her through the house, getting closer until she cuts through the back doors and runs out onto the yard. I slip a little bit, trying to turn, but manage to catch myself and run out the doors too. Everyone is outside and there's balloons and streamers everywhere while they hang out by the pool and eat cupcakes. Rachel's looking back at me too much and she doesn't realize that she's going towards the pool. If I can inch her closer to it, I can shove her into the pool and the water will get rid of that pic…

"Come on, JJ. I know you're a lot faster than that!"

"I don't exactly like running in boots, Ma, now get over here!" She's getting closer now… I'll have my chance in 3...2…

"Now Rachel!" I look over at my mom, confused, before turning to look at Rachel. She's already gone and I'm heading right for the pool.

"God damn it!" I try to turn around, but the momentum carries me, and I fall face first into the pool. I flail around for a few seconds before swimming up to the top and gasping for air. I swim to the edge of the pool and hold on with one hand while I push my hair from my face and clear the water from my eyes. "You guys are buying me a new phone!" I'm grabbed by both arms and pulled out of the water by Mitch.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Your phone is fine." I pull the hair from my face again and look up at Rachel as she holds my phone, wallet, and keys. How did she get those? I dig through my pockets like an idiot before looking over at Stephanie. She must have taken them when she grabbed me… I clench my teeth and stand up, still shivering from the water.

"Alright, everyone but Tori, line up for an ass kicking." A towel is put around me and look at Tori as she hangs onto my arm, giggling.

"Hey, no ass kicking on my birthday."

"But-" She puts a finger over my lips and takes the towel to dry my hair.

"No buts. Besides, it was kinda funny." She starts giggling again and I just stand there, grumbling to myself. Funny, my ass. I'm cold and wet and now I can't even get my revenge… "Come on, let's get you some dry clothes." I let Tori lead me away, but I look back to Rachel and point at her, mouthing some very angry words to her.

"What was that, Jade? You wanted me to tell Tori what her present is?" I feel the blood leave my face and I shake my head.

"No! Don't do that…" I take the lead and practically drag Tori into the house.

"Your present must be really good, huh?" Tori grins at me and I just give her a smile. You have no idea, Vega…

"Let's go. I don't trust Rachel…" We head downstairs and Tori goes to sit on the bed while I grab some fresh, dry clothes. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be right out. I'm sure you'll find something to keep you busy."

"Yeah, yeah. Go take your shower." She waves me off with a smirk and pulls out her phone. I smirk back and go to the bathroom, starting the shower. Once I've washed all the chlorine out of my hair, I stop the water and dry off.

I'm still mad, but I have to give it to mom, Rachel, and Stephanie. Their little plan _was_ well thought out. Mom and Rachel have always been dangerous together, always pulling tricks and whatnot on me, but ever since Mitch started seeing Steph, it's gotten more frequent. She's definitely a perfect fit for this family. I comb my hair and put some gel in it before styling it the way I like. There, now I'm presentable again. I get dressed, deciding to keep it simple with my black-'ll change into something nicer when it's time for us to go to dinner.

"Alright, Vega," I leave the bathroom and toss my wet clothes into the hamper. "Let's go back upstairs before they think we're having sex down here." I chuckle at her red face and reach for her hand when I see her holding something. "What's that?"

"Oh, a draft came through that little window over there and knocked this off your dresser. I was about to put it back." I take it from her and feel my stomach drop when I see that it's a recent photo of my brother.

"Thanks… I would have been pissed if this got lost…" I stare at the photo and don't realize that Tori's arm is around me until she's leaning against me.

"I know we said we'd talk about everything, but we can set boundaries. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't bring it up, ever."

"No... It's fine. This is my brother, Jake. He's almost 7 now…"

"Wow, I didn't know you had a brother." I glance at her. She doesn't seem bothered, just curious.

"Thought I talked about him once or twice…" I think about it before shaking my head. "I haven't seen him in over a year… He lives with my father and his mom. I guess, technically, he's my half-brother, but that gets annoying to say."

"Did you have a good relationship with him?" I sigh and look back at the photo.

"We had a fine relationship, for the most part. I picked on him here and there, being the older sister, and he was always bugging me like little brothers should, but we usually got along fine."

"Sorry for being so nosy, but… How come you haven't seen him in so long? Did you two have a falling out?"

"You're fine, Tori. If I didn't want to talk about it, I would have told you. No, we didn't have a falling out. After our biggest fight, my father told me I wasn't allowed to be anywhere near him until I gave up my 'Disgusting lifestyle'. This was right after Beck and I broke up."

"That's horrible…" I'm tense and I just put the photo back on my dresser, moving a small book on top of it to keep it from falling again. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that… I'm sure your brother misses you a lot..."

"It's fine… He's got my dad. He doesn't need me." I rub my eyes and try to swallow back the heavy feeling in my throat. Her arms are around me before I can turn, and it only makes me feel worse. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. I've cried enough over them." I know it's not Jake's fault. I would _never_ blame him for something my father did, but all I can imagine is my father twisting his mind and turning him against me. Avoiding all thoughts of them hurts a lot less than that possible reality.

"I can tell… Whenever you feel bad about this, you can always vent to me, okay?" I smile and sigh, shaking my head.

"You're too much… We can talk more about it another time. I'm not wasting your birthday with my tragic past." I think I'll actually take her up on that too. It really feels like I found the one person I can talk to about anything without too many emotions getting in the way. Feels safe… This was the first time I talked about my brother without falling apart.

"It's not a waste, but okay." She loosens her embrace and I turn around, hugging her to me.

"But thank you, for listening…" I give her a kiss on the cheek and then pull away, taking a deep breath. "Okay, let's get back to your party. Seriously, they really are going to think we're doing the dance with no pants." Tori starts giggling and I grin, backing up when she tries to push me.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Jade!" I just laugh and take her hand, leading her back upstairs with me so we can enjoy the rest of her party.

"Wow, Jade. Took you two long enough to come back." Rachel shoots me a grin and I just brush past her with Tori after snatching back my stuff.

"Sorry Ma, had a talk with Tori about something important and lost track of the time." I smile at her before making a plate of food for Tori and myself. I catch Rachel and my mom looking back and forth at each other and I chuckle to myself. They're probably wondering why I'm not still pissed. To be honest, I'm not that mad anymore. I feel pretty damn good now thanks to Tori.

"Jazz… I think she's finally lost it…" My mom starts laughing and gets up, getting food too.

"No, I'm sure she's fine. Just a side effect of being with someone you love, that's all." I give Tori her plate and pass the ketchup to her before biting into my turkey burger.

We eat lunch and talk about how Tori's birthday has gone so far. Rachel just up and leaves from the table when Tori tells her about her new car, and she runs out front to see for herself.

"Tori! That car is beautiful!" Rachel runs back over and just jumps around while showing my mom a picture of the car. "Jazz, look! Isn't that sexy as hell?!" You never really get used to Rachel's massive amount of energy… My mom looks at the picture and chuckles.

"Let me guess, your next car?"

"Maybe…but in pink instead of purple..." Rachel loves my mom more than anything, but she _really_ loves cars. That's her one vice in life, buying a new car almost every few months. She sits down and seems to get focused on her phone while we finish eating. Tori and I end up eating 2 burgers each, some chicken, and fries. Tori always has a good appetite, but I didn't think I was as hungry as I'd been. I lean back in my chair and sigh, rubbing my stomach.

"That was really good." Tori was leaning against me the whole time and when I look down at her, I'm pleasantly surprised to find her falling asleep.

One funny thing I learned about Tori is, she can't help but take a nap after a big lunch, depending on what we ate. There's been a few times where she almost fell asleep in school. She can eat a heavy breakfast and be fine, but lunch is what really does her in. "Hey…" I give her a nudge and she looks at me, half asleep and with that pouty face I find really cute. "Come on, you need a nap." She nods and with my help, stands up and wave mumbles out a thank you to everyone. I half carry her inside and down to my room before getting her to sit on the bed. Yeah, she's definitely ready to pass out. I'll get her tucked in and then go back upstairs to help clean up. I take her shoes off and make sure she's comfortable before moving to stand up. I'm stopped by a hand holding onto the hem of my shirt.

"Don't go…" I sigh, smiling, and kick off my boots before getting under the covers with her.

"Alright, alright. Come on, you pest. Take your nap and I'll give you my present later, okay?"

"Yay…." She continues to hold onto me, and it doesn't take her long to fall asleep. I think about getting up once she's sleeping, but my lack of sleep last night has been getting to me all afternoon. A little nap wouldn't kill me… I text my mom and let her know we'll be up in an hour or so and set an alarm for 3 before cuddling up with her more. Laying with Tori like this is nice...even if she's already sleeping. It's relaxing. As I watch her sleep, I can't help but smile to myself as I think about the little box in my top drawer. I really hope she likes her present… I close my eyes and hold her close as I fall asleep, dreaming about what's to come.


	20. Ice Cold Fun

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but don't worry, I have been actively working on GD. It's just that I'm also working on a secret project that I can't tell you about yet, so I've been putting down ideas for both GD and the secret project. Here is the most recent chapter! I know you've been eager for more. I promise that I won't be disappearing for another 6 or 7 months like last time. The end of the year is just a very hectic time for me. There's Christmas (Merry Christmas btw!), then 6 days later, it's New Year's (Also Happy 2020!), and then just 4 days later, it's my birthday (Happy- Wait a minute…). I'm working on a better sleep schedule set soon so I can start getting more rest and not feeling so tired at work. Did you know, working a 5-hour shift really freaking sucks when you've only slept for 3 hours and haven't eaten anything… Don't worry though. I'm doing so much better not than I was last year, and I'm going to keep improving. I won't leave you guys hanging like I did before, and even I may seem to be idle; I'm always working on the next chapter. That's my New Year's resolution. To improve my writing and to not let you all down!**

Chapter Nineteen

Ice Cold Fun

(Jade)

I wake up to my alarm going off and I swat at my phone until it stops, yawning and rubbing my eyes with my other hand. Damn...that was a really good nap… I open my eyes and see that Tori and I switched positions. Now she's holding me from behind, but what surprises me is the pair of hands resting firmly on my breasts. Granted, it's over my shirt, but it's still unlike her to be so handsy. I chuckle to myself and try to move her hands, but she has one hell of a grip on me. I turn my head while nudging her and eventually, she starts to wake up.

"Five more minutes…" She mumbles it into my back, and I smirk, trying to turn more.

"Trust me, you can grab my boobs another time, but we gotta get up." She shifts around, waking up more, and I feel her grip tighten. As funny as this is, it's stirring up feelings I'm trying to keep to a minimum. "V-Vega… Baby, seriously, let go…"

"Wha-?" I feel her head move off of my back and her hands fly away from my chest. Oh, thank god… I sit up and look at Tori as she apologizes with the deepest blush ever. I can't help but marvel at how cute she is right now.

"Don't worry about it." I lean over and peck her lips, grinning when she scrambles for something to say. "Seriously, I definitely don't mind you feeling me up in your sleep, okay? Now let's get up so we can get ready for the next part of your birthday surprise." The change of subject perks her up and she scoots closer, grabbing my hand.

"Your gift?" Those damn eyes get me every time… I squeeze her hand, shaking my head.

"No, you'll get my gift later. My, my… Someone is a little selfish today." I smirk and get up, grabbing my brush and combing my hair to put it in a loose ponytail.

"Hey, it's my birthday. I can do whatever I want and be selfish about it, okay?" She gets up too and stands by me, waiting. I stand behind her and quickly comb her hair too, getting rid of her bedhead.

"Does, 'whatever you want' include molesting your poor, dear girlfriend while she's vulnerable?" There's that blush again. She gets nice and red and stumbles for something to say while I just grin.

"That's it!" I start laughing when she turns around and grabs my hands. I try to pull them back but she's strong. The laughing immediately stops when she plants my hands on her chest, holding them there.

"T-Tori!" She lets go and I quickly pull my hands back, feeling my face get really hot.

"There, now we're even." I'm at a loss for words as I watch her blow a kiss at me before putting her shoes on. I shake my head quickly to clear the dirty thoughts and grab my boots, wishing the blush would go away too. You are my kind of woman, Tori Vega...

"Okay, okay. Enough fondling each other. We really do need to get going."

"Hey, you started it." I shove her playfully as she stands up and I start laughing.

"I distinctly remember you starting it by grabbing my boobs in your sleep."

"And if you keep it up, I'm gonna finish it too." She and I both freeze and I just sort of stare at her with a raised eyebrow. She fumbles for a moment before crossing her arms and turning around. "You know what I meant, you perv!" I smirk and just shake my head, standing to kiss her cheek.

"Okay, okay. No more messing with each other. Let's go. We're going to be late for the first part of your gift. Don't worry about Jack, Rachel's going to watch him for you." She nods and I toss her one of my jackets before putting one on as well. Tori is deep in thought as she starts heading up the stairs, probably trying to figure out what her gifts are, and I quietly grab two things from my dresser, tucking them into my pockets. I'm excited and nervous at the same time…

When we get upstairs, Mom and Rachel are baking cookies and I swipe two off a tray before Rachel throws a hand towel at me.

"Hey! Those are for the office, not you!" I laugh and dodge the towel before rushing out of the kitchen with Tori.

"Thanks Ma!"

"Don't ask me to save you any, you little punk!" I pass her one of the cookies and take a bite of my own as we leave the house.

"I have a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it has yet to be better than Rachel's. I don't know what she does different, but they're always perfect and she likes to flaunt that." Tori eats her cookie and gives me a funny look.

"Hey, you never made me cookies…"

"Vega, I baked you a red velvet cake just last week because you were sad that the grub truck ran out of it. If you wanted cookies, you should have asked."

"Oh yeah… Alright then. Next time you bake, you have to make me your cookies." She unlocks the car and we get in.

"No problem." I chuckle and pull out my phone, giving her directions to where I want her to go.

She asks me about a billion times where we're going, and it takes all I have not to give in. I would love nothing more than to tell her, especially when she pouts, but I really want this to be a surprise. We make it downtown and she takes the final turn before I guide her to a good spot to park.

"We're here?" We get out and she looks around, excited. I step behind her and cover her eyes, shushing her.

"Hang on, Vega. We're not there yet. First, you have to trust me…" I pull a blindfold out of my pocket and place it over her eyes. "You can't look until we get there."

"Aww…" I just smile and make sure her car is locked up before holding her hand. We start walking and I can tell she's listening super closely to what's around us to figure out where we are. That gives me an idea and I dig through my pocket, pulling out my earbuds and phone.

"No cheating, Babe." I put the earbuds on her and start playing music. She pouts even more, and I test the volume by whispering silly things to her. No reaction. Perfect. I take her hand again and we resume walking.

"Jade… You're no fun." She's louder with the music playing and I find it really funny. I take out one of the ear buds.

"We'll be there soon. Be patient." I put the bud back and keep guiding her as we head down the street.

When we reach the right building, I take her inside and all of our friends are there, including Cat and Missy. Tori's parents are here too with her sister and Evan. I explain that she can't hear much, and I bring her to the middle of the room before counting to three. On three, I take out the earbuds and everyone shouts surprise. Tori jumps and rips off the blindfold, looking around like a madwoman.

"What is this?!" I take her hand and turn her around so she can look through the door behind us. There's tables and food and music playing while a fresh clean ice-skating rink waits to be used.

"Happy birthday, Tori." She turns around and starts hugging me and I hug her back, chuckling. "I'm just going to assume that you like it."

"I've never been ice skating before! This is so cool!" She starts hugging everyone around and I just watch with a smile. When she's finally calmed down, we all head inside and start getting our skates.

"Just hold on to me and go slowly. Don't want you breaking that leg again, okay?" She nods as I lace her up and get my own skates on.

The moment we touch the ice, she seems to get really nervous, but I make sure she's holding me, and I hold her too as we slowly start gliding. I don't want to say anything, but she's not very good at this. Not that it's a bad thing. She definitely has trouble moving on her own, but she starts to get the hang of it after a while. She has the biggest smile on her face, and it makes me feel really good inside to see how happy she is. In fact, everyone seems happy. Cat and Andre are skating together, Robbie is hanging by the snack table with Beck, Trina and Evan are together, and Tori's parents are relaxing and watching us all. Everyone's having a good time. I look over to the side and see Missy skating by herself. Okay, maybe not everyone… She looks uncomfortable.

"Jade, are you okay?" Tori squeezes my hand and I give her a smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about something. Don't worry, it's fine." I kiss her hand and we move a little faster. "So, how are you liking your birthday party?"

"I love it! When did you even have time to set this up?"

"All I did was pick the place actually. The guys set this all up for you. You know how bad they are at picking gifts, so they decided to put the party together. Beck and Robbie decorated, and Andre brought the food and music."

"I'll have to thank them… This is awesome! It's the best birthday I've ever had!" If I was feeling good before, I'm feeling amazing now. Knowing that she's having a good day is all that matters to me…

"Whoa!" We both look over to Missy and we see her slide too fast and land on her butt. I let go of Tori and quickly make my way over to her, helping her back to her feet.

"Easy… You okay?"

"Y-yeah… I'm just not very good at this…" I help her over to the exit and get her to sit down.

"Just try to be careful, okay? Don't need you hurting yourself, or the baby. Rest for a little bit, then come back onto the ice. Tori and I will skate with you if you want." Beck grabs her a drink and sits with her, and I make sure she's alright before going back over to Tori. I can already see the questions in her eyes, and I decide I can't avoid this talk forever. She takes my hand and we start skating again, but I can tell she's mildly distracted. "You can ask me, you know." She looks at me, embarrassed, and nods.

"Sorry, it's just weird for me to see you being that nice to Missy."

"I just don't want Missy putting herself through any unnecessary stress while she's pregnant…"

"Why are you acting so protective though. I get not wanting anything to happen to her or the baby, but you seemed to just change in an instant. Literally. You barely talk to her and only acknowledge her when I bring her up."

"I know…" I try to think of how to ease into it, but I start to realize there's no easy way around it and I might as well just explain. "It's because of Rachel… She and my mom were trying to have a baby a few years ago but…" I trail off, not sure how to continue. We slow down and I notice Tori has stopped moving.

"There were complications?" I nod and let go of her hand to rub my face and fiddle with my hair.

"Yeah… My mom won't tell me what caused it but the whole ordeal put Rachel in the hospital for almost 2 weeks. All I knew was that Rachel had lost the baby and it wasn't until I was older that they told me it almost killed her. It really messed her up for a while. It really scared me too, you know. I know we're not blood related, but I really do love her. She's helped raise me since I was just a little kid. That's my family…" Tori takes my hands again and hugs me tight. This feels just like earlier when I told her about my brother… I sigh and return the hug. I feel like I'm hogging her birthday with all my sad life stories…

"I'm so sorry, Jade… How is she now? I can't imagine losing a child like that is something you can just 'Get over'..." I feel her wobbling a bit so I pull out of the hug and take her hand again so we can go sit for a bit and she can rest her leg.

"She has her bad days. Some days, she just doesn't have the energy to get out of bed, so my mom will spend the whole day with her, helping her distract herself, making sure she eats. Here, sit down." We grab seats that are a little bit away from everyone and I get us something to drink. "My momma might not look it, but she's really sensitive, and her going through that just seemed to amplify it. I mean, remember how freaked out she was when you got hurt? She didn't know you for that long and she already cared about you a lot. You and she are a lot alike, actually." I smile, thinking about Rachel. "I guess that's why you two get along so well."

"She is pretty cool. Both of your mom's, really. I like hanging out with them on the weekends when you're working. We always order pizza and play Mario Kart on your Switch."

"So that's how you're gotten better?!" I start laughing. I knew there was a reason Tori was beating me in so many races. I wasn't just off.

"Yup, Rachel's been giving me tips and it's been really fun wiping the floor with you." She just shoots me a grin and I shove her some."

"Oh shush, you. This just means I need to start playing more. Be prepared to get your butt kicked next time." She laughs and stands up, taking my hand.

"Come on, let's skate some more." I follow her back out onto the ice and we start off slowly before getting comfortable again. She's pretty good for a newbie but that doesn't mean I'm letting go of her hand any time soon.

The party goes on for about another hour. Missy came back out onto the ice and joined us for a while too. All in all, I'm positive Tori had a great party. Eventually, the guys start packing everything up and we all get our skates off. We could only book this place for so long and I still have a dinner to take her to.. I text Rachel and have her come to pick up Missy. She and Mom will keep her entertained and make sure she's taken care of tonight. This way, Trina can sleep in her own bed and Tori won't have to worry about Missy. She can sleep in the guest room and Rachel can give her a spare set of my pajamas. Tori tires to help clean up but everyone shoos her away and I assure her that it's all taken care of.

"Don't worry about that. Today's your day to just cut loose and enjoy yourself." I kiss her cheek as she puts the ice skates back in the box. "Come on. It's time to get ready for dinner so we're heading back to your place. Gotta dress nice, right?" I smile and take her hand as we say bye to everyone.

"We should stop at your place too, so you can get changed too." We get in her car and get buckled up.

"What, you're saying I don't already look nice?" I joke as she starts driving. She turns red and shakes her head.

"No! You always look great, I just-"

"Babe, I'm just messing with you." I chuckle and reach behind her seat, pulling out two boxes. "I had my mom borrow your keys when we were eating lunch and she put these here for me. I think you'll like it." I wink and feel the car jump a bit when she hits the brake. "Careful Vega. Gotta get there in one piece, otherwise you'll never see me in this, and you'll never get your gift." She starts speeding up and I laugh. "It'll be the same result if you get pulled over. Relax." Her face doesn't lose the redness, but at least she starts driving more carefully.

When we get back to her house, we head inside and get changed, her in her room and me in Trina's room. I didn't actually plan anything for my hair, so I brush it out and keep it simple. I pull out the new white top and blue skinny jeans that I bought just for tonight and put them on. I swap my boots for my new white heels and put my other clothes in the shoe box. I'm just about ready when there's a knock at the door.

"Jade? I'm all set to go." I fix the straps on my heels and open the door, feeling my stomach leap when I see Tori looking gorgeous in a yellow blouse and white skirt.

"You look amazing…" She blushes and smiles, looking me over.

"I could say the same about you." I take her hand and get her to do a little twirl so I can get a good look at her. She really does look so beautiful. "Okay, are you absolutely sure you're ready? We have to be there soon." I check my phone. I made the reservation for 8 and it's already 7:40. Tori takes a step back and it seems like she's thinking about something.

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing else I need to do." I nod, picking up my jacket.

"Alright, let's get going. I'm starving and I know you're excited just to have pasta." She giggles and I make I sure have all my things with me before we go out to my car. I chuck the boxes in the back and hold her door open before getting in myself and backing out.

I start driving and Tori turns on the radio for some music. It's already preset to her favorite station and almost immediately starts singing along to a song that's playing. I just chuckle and keep driving to the restaurant. When we get there, a valet takes the car for me and we go inside. I confirm the reservation and we're seated immediately, which is good because they're really packed tonight. I pick up my menu and flip through it. We've only been here a few times for dates, but I know its Tori's favorite place, next to Dave and Buster's, and they really do have good food. While we're reading the menus, a waitress comes over.

"Hello there, my name is Anise and I'll be your waitress this evening. Can I get you some drinks?" I look to Tori and nod.

"The birthday girl can go first." She blushes, ordering an orange juice and club soda, and I just ask for a cup of coffee. When Anise leaves to get our drinks, I look through the menu again, eventually deciding on Chicken Pomodoro. Tori keeps looking at the menu and I just watch her. She always has a tough time deciding what she wants here and it's adorable. She finally puts down the menu and looks at me, excited.

"Hey, can we split the calamari? We never got it last time and it looked so good…" I sigh, smiling, and nod.

"You can have anything you want, Beautiful.."

"Stop…" The blush comes back and she smiles, looking back down at her menu. Anise comes back with our drinks and takes out appetizer order: The fried calamari, two Caesar salads, and fried cheese sticks. Tori puts her menu aside after deciding she was lasagna and looks around the restaurant, taking in the scenery and music playing in the background. I take this opportunity to get up, feigning a trip to the restroom, and sneak off to find someone to help me out with part of my surprise. I manage to track down the Manager with the help of some of the waitstaff. After some begging, and slipping him fifty bucks, he agrees to my plan and promises to follow through with what I need. I get back to the table and see Tori is on her phone.

"Got bored without me?" She smiles and shows me her phone just as it turns off.

"Nope, just making sure we're not disturbed. I don't want anything getting in the way of our birthday dinner date." She puts it in her purse, and I do the same thing, since it's a really good idea. She sits back and sips her drink and I go back to watching her like before.

"So, birthday girl. Did you have a good day?" She sets down her glass and has a big grin on her face.

"I had the best day! This was the most awesome birthday. Thank you, Jade."

"If it makes you happy, I'd give you anything, you know that."

"I know...but thank you just the same. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes." I just smile and reach over, squeezing her hand. Before I can say anything, the Manager comes over.

"Excuse me. I'm afraid there's been an issue. You ladies will have to come with me." Tori looks concerned and turns to me.

"What happened?" I shrug and stand up, grabbing my purse. She looks back at the guy and she crosses her arms. "We already ordered our appetizers. They'll get cold if we leave."

"I'm sorry, but this is a serious matter and we must get this sorted out." I sigh, faking some grumbling, and grab Tori's hand.

"Come on. If out stuff is cold, I'll make him comp the meal. Let's just figure out what's going on." Tori stands, pretty reluctantly, and we follow the guy down a hallway, past the kitchen, and to a door. He opens it and the room inside is dimly lit with candles on a table and there's soft music playing. It's a private room, just for us. I look at the Manager because this was more than what I'd asked for. It's even better… I'd just wanted a table in the back of the main dining hall by the musicians. The manager leaves before either of us can say anything to him and shuts the door. Tori is on me instantly, kissing me, and I try not to giggle when I kiss her back. When she pulls away, she's holding my face like I do to her sometimes, when I just want to do nothing but look at her.

"Jade… This is too much…" She sighs, touching her forehead to mine, and it feels like my knees want to give out on me. "I love you so much…, thank you." She gives me one last kiss before we sit down at the table. Our appetizers are already here and fresh drinks like the ones we had before, including a pitcher of lemon water. We scoot out chairs closer together and lean against one another as we eat. I catch Tori deep in thought at one point but when asked, she tells me it's nothing. She's still smiling, so it can't be anything bad.

Anise comes in, takes our meal order, refills our drinks, and just does an amazing job at making sure we're comfortable. I'm making sure she gets a damn good tip.. Our food comes in and Tori and I eat, sharing bites here and there and enjoying each other's company. By the time we're done eating, we're both close to full and decide to split dessert. We get a slice of cheesecake to share, but I guess the kitchen wanted to be nice and cut us a big piece. It's practically two pieces in one and we can't finish it. That's how full we were.

When the bill is paid, I can't thank the manager enough for everything he and Anise and the chefs did. Everything was perfect… I leave Anise a fifty-dollar tip and I promise them that we'll eat here for every special occasion and damn near every date in the future. Tori and I leave the restaurant and I hand my ticket to the valet so he can get the car. Tori is leaning against me and I wrap an arm around her lovingly, deciding that now is the time. Nervous or now, I can't put it off any longer.

"Tori?..."

"Yeah?" I clear my throat and pull out the small box from my purse, opening it to reveal a key.

"How would you feel about moving in together?" She pulls away and stares at the key with big eyes.

"What? Are...are you serious?" I nod and take the key out of the box, holding it out to her.

"I've never been more serious about anything. I know you might think we'd be moving too fast, but I think that we're ready for a big step like this. I... already have my own place. Well, technically, it's Rachel's. She bought the house, but I pay her rent and everything. I've been slowly moving my things out of my parents' house." I close my mouth when I realize I'm talking really fast and Tori looks back and forth from the key to me before she finally settles on looking at me.

"You really are serious…" She picks up the key and looks at it. I got her name laser engraved on it, so she knows it's really for her but now I'm starting to feel as if it was too cheesy... "You know, my parents would want me to think it over first…" I start to tell her that I've already discussed it with them, but she stops me. "No, it's okay. Even if you hadn't asked them, it's still my decision at the end of the day. No matter what. That's why," Oh god, here it comes. The big fat no… "I'll do it." … … … Almost two full minutes pass as I try to process what she just said to me, then it hits.

"W-wait, really? You'll really move in with me?" I start smiling big and nearly drop the box when I grab her hand. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I really, truly love you, Jade... This _is_ a big step in our relationship, and you're right. We are ready." I pull her to me and hug her tight, feeling really, really happy.

"You're amazing, Tori… I love you."

"I love you too…" She hugs me back and we stay like this for a moment before the car pulls up. I tip the valet, help her in, then get in too.

"Hey…" I look to her as I start driving. "Would you like to see the house? It's not far from here. Actually, I made sure it wasn't far from your house, so even if you weren't sure about moving in, I'd be closer to you." I stop at a light and watch her put the new key with her car keys

"I'd love to see it. I gotta make sure there's enough room for all my stuff, right?" I chuckle and nod.

"Right. I hope it's big enough."

It doesn't take long for us to reach the street and I start getting giddy. I didn't work my ass off for nothing… I pull into the driveway and Tori stares out the window at it, mouth dropped.

"Jade, this place looks amazing…" We get out and she walks around, looking at the front yard and the landscape.

"I know it's not really fancy looking, but you'll like the backyard. Plenty of room for Jack to run around, even room for another dog if you ever want to get one."

"What do you mean? It looks awesome." She smiles and comes back over to me. I nudge her towards the front door and let her unlock it with her new key. Watching her do that gives me little butterflies and I push open the door, leading her inside. I shut and lock the door behind us and let her walk around, exploring. There's not much decoration wise, I'll let Tori decorate all she wants, but we have the basics in furniture. I even like the new bed, though I'm still used to mine. I'd rather keep it at my mom's house so I can spend the night there once and awhile.

"It's two bedrooms, but there's also an office that could be converted into another bedroom. There's the living room, kitchen, laundry room. A decent sized basement too, but I'm not sure what to do with that yet." We walk into the kitchen and I turn on the lights.

"This kitchen is huge…"

"Yeah… I wanted to make sure it was a comfortable space since I cook the most out of both of us. Plus, there's no dining room so I'm going to convert part of the kitchen into a little dining area." I let Tori keep the lead and I follow her around, eventually going upstairs. She opens the first door and it's the bathroom. The next door is the office, the one after that is the smaller bedroom, and finally, we reach the Master bedroom at the end of the hall. There's the attic too, but I'd rather she not go up there just yet. I'm working on a secret project that I don't want her seeing until I'm done. She opens the door and walks in, turning on the light.

"So, this is...your room?" I smile and place an arm over her shoulders.

"Correction: _Our_ room. I wouldn't stick you in the guest bedroom, Tori."

"Really living together…" She smiles and walks around the room, checking out the furniture set I picked out. Everything is a range between dark and light gray that looks nice with the white walls and black carpeting.

"So, you really like it? If you want to change anything, just tell me. This is going to be your place too, so it's only fair that you get to help decorate it."

"I do like it, and I'll think about it. I don't want to throw off the good energy too much." She opens the curtains a bit and looks back at my, laughing. "You know, I bet the view is nice when it's not dark and starting to rain." I smirk and sit on the bed, nodding.

"I hope you somehow fit an umbrella into your purse, otherwise we're going to get all wet when we leave." Tori comes over to sit beside me and pretends to dig through her purse.

"Nope, no umbrella. I just have my phone, make-up, keys, a watermelon, my mom's piano, and the lost city of Atlantis." I grin, pulling her into my lap.

"Well then, all we need is that watermelon, the piano, a hammer, and Gallagher, and we've got ourselves a show." She laughs, covering her face, and I laugh too.

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Hey, you're dating me, so what does that make you?" She pauses for a moment and then smiles.

"Lucky." My heart leaps and I can't fight the blush. This woman kills me when she says stuff like that…

"That makes both of us..." I hug her tight to me and lean down, kissing her. She returns the kiss and soon, it starts to get pretty heated. We're clinging to each other, my hands on her waist, and I have to stop myself from reaching under her shirt. I have to let her go at her own pace…no matter how badly I want more. I start to pull my hands away, but she grabs them, making me look at her.

"Jade…" She stops me and I stare down at her, anxious. "It's okay…" She moves my hands back to her wait and I'm trying my best to get them to stop shaking.

"Wait, does this mean you…" She puts her finger to my lips, nodding, and starts kissing me again. I try my best to relax, though it's not easy, but eventually get my heart to stop beating so fast. I lay Tori back in the bed and just stare down at her, my hands still on her waist. She reaches up and cups my cheek, smiling.

"I love you…" I smile and dip my head down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you more…" I kiss her deeply and slowly move my hands to the hem of her shirt.

 _The Next Morning_

I look down at Tori, watching her as she sleeps, and I smile, rubbing her back. I woke up not too long ago, but I haven't felt the need to get up just yet. I just want to stay here and enjoy the moment. Last night was way better than I could have ever expected… Tori moves closer to me and yawns before sitting up. Our eyes meet and she blushes while trying to hide her smiling face. I chuckle and move her hands away, leaning in to kiss her.

"Morning, Beautiful…" She giggles and tries to pull the blankets up to cover herself. I smirk, letting her, and pull her against me afterwards. "No need to be so shy, Babe. I've seen just about every inch of you now."

"Jade, stop… You're making me blush again." She tries to push me away and we both end up laughing. "You're insane."

"And you still love me." I grin and nuzzle her neck. "So, I have to know. What brought this on?"

"Well, you did such a good job with my birthday, I figured you deserved something nice."

"R-really?!" I look at her, eyes wide and mouth open, and she starts laughing.

"No, not really, silly." She sits up and stretches while I lean back and watch her. "No, I decided that I'm tired of letting my past with Steven get in the way of our relationship. I love you more than anything and I honestly can't think of a better time or place for us to have our first time." I smile and shake my head, kissing her cheek.

"And you call me crazy. You really are something special, Tori." She just smiles and leans over, grabbing her phone. She turns it on and unlocks it.

"Let's see if I got any texts from my parents wondering where I'm at. They probably expected me to come home last night so I'm not sure how to explain me staying with you in _our_ new home." She chuckles and scrolls through her messages and I turn my phone on as well. I hear a sharp gasp as I'm putting in my password and I look up to see her as white as a ghost.

"Tori?" She drops her phone on the bed and jumps out of bed, pulling her clothes on. "Hey what is it? What's the matter?" I pick up her phone and feel all the blood leave my face. She received several messages from her sister about an hour ago, demanding to know why her phone was off, but the last one was the reason for Tori acting so erratically. ['Dad's been shot']. I get up and grab my clothes, putting them on and grabbing my bag. "Come on. I'll take you to the hospital." We run down the steps and out to the car. We hit the road and I hear Tori pray that he's going to be alright, so I reach over, grabbing her hand, and do the same.


	21. Gone

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while. The world is getting scarier and I've been so focused on working to try and put away as much as I can in case bad things happen. It's really not an easy task, but I'm trying. I want you all to know that, I've never forgotten about this story. I can't tell you how many times I've written and REWRITTEN this chapter. It was just never good enough. Then there were the pms… There were a lot of beautiful messages from people hoping that I was okay and those really helped me keep going. But then...there were so many people who were also frustrated that I'd stopped posting, and rightfully so. They had every right to be upset and I really couldn't blame them. The one that actually did get on my nerves was the one person constantly complaining that my story was boring or lacked a "True Villain". I honestly didn't see much of a villain here, other than Gavin (For those who may need a refresher, Gavin is the man who previously owned and abused Jack.). I kept looking over the story and I kept kicking myself because they were right. There were minor conflicts, but nothing major. So, to finally satisfy them, here it is. It's not exactly the direction I planned to take this chapter, but I'm proud of it, nonetheless. I'm not going to keep making promises to upload "Soon". With everything going on, I will do my best to at least not disappear like I did last year. That is a promise I _can_ keep. Much love to you all and thank you so much for sticking with me for as long as you have. I never want to feel like I've let anyone down. -Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Gone

(Tori)

I burst through the door to my dad's room and run to his side with Jade following close behind. He's lying in bed and talking to Mom and Trina and Evan, and he looks awful...

"Dad!" He reaches over and pats my hand, giving me a tired smile. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner…"

"Tori, baby girl, relax... It's okay... I'm okay... The doc said it's not that bad... I'll be out of here in no time at all. I'm just glad you're safe. We were hoping you hadn't gone home this morning. I didn't want you girls running into that bastard that got me."

"Wait, this happened at your house?" I feel Jade's hand on my back as she steps closer to look at Dad. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, the guy shot me and stole my wallet. It happened so fast that I didn't get much of a good look at him, but they're looking for him now with what I could recall. He'll get what's coming to him, that's for sure." I watch dad start to sit up, but he groans and grabs at his side.

"Relax, daddy… Don't hurt yourself more." Trina grabs the remote by the bed and raises it up for him, making him more comfortable. "Is there anything I can get you? Are you thirsty? Do you want another blanket?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart, thank you." He smiles at her. "The best thing for me right now is to get some rest." He adjusts himself and turns back to me. "Did you enjoy the rest of your birthday?"

"I did but... "I sit in the chair beside the bed and hold Dad's hand, swallowing hard when I feel my eyes start stinging. "I'm so sorry… I should have never turned my phone off…"

"It's not your fault, Kiddo. I'm okay and we're all safe. That's what matters right now. Now, tell me about your night. Did you girls have a good dinner?" I nod, staring down at my shoes.

"Yeah… Jade took me to my favorite restaurant and she...asked me to move in with her… I said yes." I glance up and see mom and dad smiling at each other before looking at Jade and me.

"Oh Honey, that's wonderful. It's good to see you two so ready to spend your lives together." Dad lets go of my hand and cups my cheek. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." His phone goes off and Mom hands it to him. His eyes light up and he smiles. "They've got a lead that he's headed towards Bakersfield. They'll pick him up in no time." I breathe a sigh of relief and let go of his hand, giving him a gentle hug instead. They're gonna get the guy and Dad's going to be okay. They're even okay with me moving in with Jade. Thank God…

Dad's nurse comes in and checks his vitals and everything before giving him his meds and lowering the bed so he can rest. Jade sits beside the bed and makes me sit in her lap while I talk to my dad. He leads the conversation for the most part while I just sit and nod or respond to a question. I'm so lost in thought that I don't realize I'm zoning out until he taps my hand.

"Princess? Hey, look at me." I pull my gaze from his bandages to meet his eyes and see a look of understanding in them. "I'm okay. I know this is hard for you to see me like this, but I'll be fine. I promise."

"I know… It's just…after everything that happened back then, I thought nothing like this would happen again…"

"It's okay… It's okay, come here." He holds out his arms and I get up to carefully hug him and he hugs me back tighter than I expect. "I love you, sweetheart. I'm not letting something like this take me out, okay?" I nod, tightening my hold some and sniffling a bit.

"I love you too, Dad…" He lets go and nudges me with his elbow while drying my eyes. I smile a little bit and sit back down on Jade's lap, holding my dad's hand. We stay like this, talking, and Jade holds onto me the entire time. Dad stops to make a phone call and Jade and I are talking to my mom when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Tori, can I talk to you about something?" I look at my sister and nod when I notice the serious expression. She's been really quiet, only talking to Dad and Evan while we've been here. I follow Trina into the hallway while Jade talks to my mom about me moving in with her. I shut the door and notice that Trina doesn't seem very happy right now.

"Trina… What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Tori, what do you think is wrong? While you were out sleeping with your girlfriend, Dad was hurt, and we couldn't get a hold of you. Now you're fine and laughing like nothing happened. How do you think _I_ feel?" I take a step back and feel my face heat up.

"How do you…" She rolls her eyes and leans against the wall.

"It's all over your face, Tori. And your neck. I'm glad _you_ had a good night…" She mumbles and shakes her head.

"Trina.. If I'd known anything bad would have happened, I would have never turned my phone off, you know that. None of us saw this coming. You can't blame me for something that was out of our control…" She sighs and glances through the window on the door.

"I know, I'm sorry… I just..I don't know how to process all of this and you're not helping the situation. Do you really think this is a good time to move out?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I get you want to be with Jade, but you can't just leave Mom and Dad right now. I mean, Dad was shot by some psycho. He could have died. Don't you think you should stay home with him until he's better?"

"I was going to stay… I wasn't just going to up and leave in one day. What, did you think that I was just going to ditch them out of nowhere? Like you did to me when you left?" Trina glares and crosses her arms.

"Hey, I told you I was leaving. It's not like I just left without a word."

"No, I _found out_ you were leaving. I confronted you about it and **then** you told me."

"Why the hell are you bringing _that_ up? Are you still mad or something?"

"Maybe I am…" I shake my head and look back at her, scowling. "Look, that's not the point I'm trying to make. I'm not leaving yet, okay? Not while Dad is in the hospital. I'll start packing my things once Dad's feeling better, so just worry about yourself." I brush past Trina and walk back into the room. I can't believe she'd think I'd just abandon our family like that… I go over to Jade and tap her arm, whispering to her. "Hey, can I borrow your car? I need to clear my head..." Without hesitation, she digs through her bag and hands me her keys but holds my hand after giving them to me.

"You okay? Want me to come with you?" I want to say yes, but I'd feel better if she stayed here, just to keep an eye on my dad.

"No, stay here with them. I won't be long. I'll pick you up a cup of coffee from that diner you like, alright?" Jade nods and I kiss her cheek before telling my parents that I'll be back. Trina just stands by the door and I don't say a word to her as I leave the room. Once I'm outside the hospital, I take a deep breath, feeling a little better. I get in Jade's car and drive to the diner that's near my house. I sit inside and order a cup of coffee, sipping it as I go through my phone and debate whether or not to call Trina and give her another piece of my mind. I'm really upset with her… After some thought, I decide that it's better to leave things as they are. Maybe she meant well, but she went about it the wrong way… Jade texts me asking if I'm alright and I tell her I'm better now and that we'll talk later

I stay at the diner a bit longer, having a second cup of coffee and some toast, and then leave after getting a coffee and sandwich for Jade. She really does like their coffee so I'd feel bad if I forgot. I pay and leave, getting back into Jade's car. As I drive, I hit a pothole and the cup tips over, burning my lap and spilling onto the floor. I swear and pull over, trying to get the scalding hot coffee off of me. Jade's going to be so pissed if I don't clean that up. I make a U-Turn and head home so I can shower and change. I park and grab the hose from the side of the house, using it to clean off the floor mat, before taking a rag and cleaning off the seat. Thank god it's leather. I won't have to worry about stains… I make sure nothing is left behind before going inside and up to my room.

After a much-needed shower and a bit of a cry, I feel better. I get dressed and finish drying my hair before going back to the car. I've been gone a while, but I really should go get another coffee. I did promise Jade I'd get her one. I pull the keys out and start to unlock the door, but I'm stopped when a hand grabs mine.

"What-" I turn and feel sick to my stomach.

"Hello Tori."

"M-Mrs. Shannon?..." I haven't seen her in a long time…. Maybe she's here to apologize for her husband's action?... "W-what are you doing here?" She doesn't say anything. Instead, she shoves me back, grabbing the keys from me and throwing them into the car.

"You're coming with me. Give me your phone, now." So now she's robbing me? Does she have anything to do with the guy who robbed Dad?

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not giving you anything!" I turn to grab the keys from the car, but the door is slammed on my left hand. The white-hot pain rushes up my arm and my legs give out from under me. Even though my mouth is open, I can't manage more than a few squeaks. The door is opened, and I whimper, holding my hand against my chest as it pulsates with pain. Tears are spilling down my cheeks as I look up at her and try to move away from her. She reaches behind her, pulling out a gun, and I freeze, my eyes fixated on the weapon but my thoughts on the pain.

"You listen here. You're coming with me whether you like it or not, got it?" I slowly nod, not taking my eyes off the gun. She gets behind me and I feel her press the gun into my back as she feels around my pockets. She takes out my phone and throws it away from us, slamming the car door shut and pulling me to my feet. She forces me to walk, jamming the gun into my back if I slowdown, which happens several times due to my legs feeling weak. We leave my driveway and there's a car waiting down at the end. She makes me get into the back and instead of getting in the front, she gets in behind me. That's when I realize there's another person in the car, a guy that looks like he's in his 20's. He looks back at us and notices my hand. He shakes his head and starts driving.

"He's not going to be happy about that." Mrs. Shannon grabs the back of my head and pushes me down, away from the window, and I let her, too focused on cradling my hand. I can barely move my fingers and I'm almost certain two of them are broken...

"I really don't care. If she hadn't made it difficult, it wouldn't have happened. Just drive." She twists my hair in her hand and turns my head to look at her. "It looks like you've been busy these past couple of years. Really pissed off some important people. I guess you couldn't just stop at killing my husband." I get chills when she says that, and I try shaking my head.

"I haven't done anything! And I didn't _want_ to kill him! He was going to kill my dad! He stabbed me! He killed my dog! It was self-def-"

"Shut up! You took away the man I loved! You stole everything from me!" She tightens her grip and I wince. "I may not be able to get the payback I want, but you're going to get what's coming to you…" I look away from her and try to think of a way to get out of this, but it's hard to focus… I could try fighting them off, but with only one usable hand, I can't do much. The gun is another factor. She's well beyond angry. I don't doubt that she would try to shoot me if given the chance, and there's no way I could get the gun from her. It's possible that the guy has one too, so that poses a huge risk as well, but it could be my only chance.

I don't know long we're in the car, but eventually, we stop, and the guy gets out first. The door by me is opened and he grabs the back of my shirt, dragging me out while Mrs. Shannon grabs my legs. I can't see much around us, but it looks like we're in a large garage. Instinctively, I begin kicking my legs to get the guy and Mrs. Shannon to let go of me while their holds are loose.

"Damn it! Hold her still!"

"Shut up! I'm trying!" The gun falls to the ground and I manage to get one of my legs free but before I can try to get the other one loose, a hand comes from behind me and shoves something against my face.

"Shh...Just breathe…" I try to turn my head and hold my breath, but because my body is reacting to the panic, I can't hold it for long. Against my will, my nose is filled with a strong sweet scent and it's like my whole body goes limp as everything around me turns to a haze. I feel like I'm falling away endlessly before everything fades to black…..

* * *

(Jade)

Tori's been gone for a while. Whatever upset her must have been bad… Trina has to know since Tori talked to her right before leaving, but she won't tell me a damn thing. I look down at my phone and contemplate sending her another text but to be honest, she hasn't even looked at the last 5 and I'm getting really worried.

"Jade." I look up from my phone and see Trina staring at me. She motions to the door and I nod, following her out. Mr. Vega is still sleeping, and Mrs. Vega left a minute ago, saying she was going to get a change of clothes and her laptop from home.

"Trina, what's going on? Where's your sister?" She pulls out her phone and starts scrolling through it.

"I don't know… I haven't been able to reach her… Nothing for you either?"

"No… She never goes this long without responding, unless she's sleeping…" I look back over to her dad and get a weird feeling in my stomach. "You don't think she went back home, do you?" Trina doesn't say anything, but when I turn to look at her, I notice she's gone pale while looking at her phone. "Trina? What is it?" She hands me her phone and starts pacing back and forth, wringing her hands and muttering to herself.

"This is my fault...This is my fault…" I look down at her messages and see a text that she'd just received from her mom.

[Where's Tori? Jade's car is here, but I can't find her.]

I nearly drop her phone in my haste to take my own back out and I pull up Tori's number, calling it. It doesn't even ring. It just goes straight to voicemail. I try it 2 more times with the same result before turning to Trina. She's still pacing, and I have to grab her to get her to stop.

"Trina! Focus. We need to find Tori. Come on!" I call for Evan to come with us and explain to him what's going on. Everything around here is unfamiliar to him, but it doesn't hurt to have another person. We have to practically drag Trina with us, and she doesn't snap out of it until we get outside. She kicks it into high gear and starts running to her car with us chasing after her.

"Jade call your moms! See if they can help us!" We get into her car and I call Mom while she starts driving. It hasn't _that_ long… She couldn't have gone far. We found her last time she went missing, we'll find her this time. Mom promises that she, Rachel, Mitch, and even Missy will go looking for her. Before she hangs up, I tell her to grab the dogs and bring them with her. Gypsy might not be of much help, but Jack loves Tori more than anything. Maybe he can lead them to her if he tracks her scent? Does he even know how to do that?... Okay, maybe not, but he would find Tori anyway, I just know it…

We get to the house and are met with several police officers.

"You kids have to stay back until we're done processing the scene."

"Scene? Wait, did you find Tori?! Is she okay?!" Trina grabs onto his arm to keep him from walking away and I start looking around for her or any sign that she's nearby, only to find nothing.

"We haven't found her, but we will. Please let us continue to work." He pulls his arm free and starts to walk away but Trina tries to follow after him. Before she can catch him again, two other officers stop her and lead us over to Mrs. Vega. She looks frazzled while trying to talk to another cop and get more upset when she sees us.

"Thank god you're here! Have either of you heard from Tori?" We just shake our heads and Trina starts walking around the house, looking for anything.

"I haven't spoken to Tori in over an hour. She went to a diner nearby to get coffee and she texted me back once, then nothing…" She sits on the steps by the door and holds her head in her hands.

"Where could she be… This is just like last time…" She's right.. It _is_ just like the last time she went missing. But we found her then and we can find her now.

"We'll find her, Holly. I swear it. I'll do whatever it takes to bring her home…" I don't realize I'm shaking until I bring my hands to rub my face. My whole body is trembling, my heart is racing, and I feel sick to my stomach. I haven't felt like this in a long time… I'm scared. Really, actually scared… "I don't think we should tell Mr. Vega what's happening… This is the last thing he needs to hear right now."

"He's not going to be happy that we kept this from him… Jade, we have to find her…"

"We will." I help Trina look around the house for any clues but there's nothing standing out to us. Almost 40 minutes go by before we finally get something. Evan calls us overs and when we rush over, we see an officer climb out of a bush, Tori's phone in a clear bag.

"It looks like it was thrown. The screen is shattered, and the battery was knocked loose." That explains why our calls were going to voicemail… "I've bagged it to preserve evidence. We might be able to pull some fingerprints from it. Holly, I need you to find something of Tori's that will have her fingerprints so we can rule those out." Mrs. Vega hurries inside to find something and I just stand there, staring at the bag. Her phone being thrown could have been from multiple things, but the only one I can think of is that someone took her. I need to find Tori and I need to find her now... I don't say anything else. I turn away and run to my car, finding the door locked and the keys sitting on the seat. I reach under the front, driver's side fender and grab the spare I keep there for emergencies. I get in and back out when the cops move out of the way, speeding down the road.

* * *

Hours go by, and there's no news yet. I'd even called all of our friends to see if they'd see her, but they all gave the same answer: No. They promised to let me know if anything changed but I hadn't heard back from any of them yet. I'm getting desperate. I've resorted to just parking my car and stopping random people on the street to ask if they'd seen her. They all look at the pic of her I pull up on my phone, but again, they all say no. I need more people… I need more help...but there's no one else to ask, except… No, I'm not going to _him_. I start texting everyone again when the thought creeps back into my mind. As much as I can't stand him, he has a lot of influence… He might be my only chance… I growl to myself and get back into my car, driving in the direction of my father's house. Just ask him... just ask. If he says no, don't argue, just move on to the next plan. Part of me prays that his car isn't there, and I fight a groan when I see it where it always is. In and out, that's it… I get out and run to the door, banging my fist on it.

"Dad! Open up! I need to talk to you!" I keep banging on the door, not wanting to give him a chance to ignore me, and soon enough, the door opens up. He stands there, glaring while looking slightly bored and holding his usual evening drink, Scotch.

"Jadelyn. Please stop all that racket. You are going to disrupt your brother while he studies. What do you want?" I want to just run. I hate being this close to him and I can feel the shaking again, but I do my best to push it all down and meet his eyes.

"I need your help. Please." He raises an eyebrow as he takes a drink. I know this has to be great for him. Me, his _rebellious_ and _sinful_ daughter coming to him for help. If it was for anything else, I'd want to off myself before I got the chance to beg him for anything, but I need to find Tori and he might be my only hope.

"Jade!" I look behind him and see my little brother running towards me. I take a half step towards him but stop when my father's arm comes down to block him.

"Not now, Jacob." He scolds him before turning back to me. "What is it that you need me for? I thought you were all grown up now and could do everything yourself." I have to fight with myself to keep from scowling and just shake my head.

"My g-" I stop and clear my throat. I need to at least avoid certain words to keep from upsetting him… "Tori's gone missing. It's been over 6 hours since we last saw or heard from her and everyone's beyond worried. I think someone may have taken her. Please, Dad… I need your help…" He finishes the drink and hands the glass to Jake, telling him to put it in the kitchen.

"Jadelyn, if your little girlfriend is missing, you should go to the police, not me." He starts to shut the door but unconsciously, I stop it with my foot.

"No!" I know I told myself I wouldn't argue with him, but I need his help and I'm willing to do anything for it. I push it back open and look him deep in the eyes as my own start to water. "The police are already on it, but I can't just wait for them. People go missing all the time and the police never find them until it's too late, or at all. You have contacts all around town, couldn't you just pass the word along to get them to help too, to at least keep an eye out for her? Dad… Tori means more to me than anything else in the world. I care for her the same way you cared for Mom, before everything that happened, happened. She's my everything. I'm begging you… Help me." He watches me as I practically grovel at his feet and I don't break eye contact with him. He finally sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"Alright, alright. Jesus Christ… I'll see what I can do." I feel all the air in my lungs rush out of me all at once.

"R-really?!" I didn't think he'd actually agree, but this will be a huge help towards finding Tori.

"Yes, damn it. I'll help." Before I can stop myself, I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you!" I can feel that he's tense, and I guess I can't blame him. I can't remember the last time I hugged him, willingly. I let go of him and look away, hoping he doesn't notice the blush. "Sorry… I really mean it though… Thank you." I ruffle Jake's hair and hurry back to my car. "Call me if you hear anything!" I wave to them and get back in the car, driving off. With his help, I know we can find her. He has eyes everywhere, something I learned with my ex-girlfriends, so I know his people would find her in no time. Hang on, Tori. We're coming…

* * *

(Tori)

 _Where am I?... My hand hurts and my head hurts… What's going on?..._ I open my eyes and immediately wince at the pounding pain in my head. I try to stand up but when I'm almost on my feet, something tugs at my leg and I fall to the floor with a grunt. I look down and see a chain and metal cuff attached to my ankle. What the hell... I try to pull my leg free but all I manage to do is hurt my ankle. I try to look around, but there isn't much that I can see due to a blinding light pointed straight at me. I try to stand up again, but my legs feel like jelly...I just can't…

"Don't bother trying to get up. You're just going to exhaust yourself." I whip my head in the direction of the voice and see a woman coming towards me with a large bag. I try to scoot away from her, but I can't really go very far… "You're just wasting energy. Sit still and let me work." She grabs my bad hand and I can't even muster the strength to pull away. It hurts so bad… She gently tugs at each of my fingers, feeling them and I bite my lip when she tugs my ring and pinky fingers.

"D-don't…" I close my eyes and brace myself, in case she does it again, but there's nothing. I slowly open one eye and see that she's just staring at my hand with a sad expression. She's not like those other two… "Please… let me go…" She looks at me, the expression not fading, and grabs her bag.

"I can't..." She pulls out several things before picking up a syringe. I try to pull away, but the motion yanks on my hand and I cry out in pain. "Shh… I just want to fix your hand…" I look at her through the tears and see her looking even sadder. "Let me take care of you…" She's careful as she inserts the needle and I barely feel it over the rest of the pain. Whatever was in the syringe, it numbs my hand almost completely. My hand's not the only thing that feels numb though, my whole body feels as if it's made of static and I can't stop myself from slumping against the wall as everything goes fuzzy. "I'm so sorry…"

* * *

I jolt awake suddenly, feeling water dripping down my face as I frantically look around for the source.

"Wake up." I sit up and groan, holding my head. There's a weird feeling in my left hand and I notice that it's been wrapped up and braced with a lot of bandages.

"What's going on?..." Someone is standing in front of me but when I look up, the light from before is still there and I can't see who it is. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"

"Oh, I want plenty, Miss Vega, and you're going to help me." That voice… I know that voice… The light moves out of the way and I gasp when I see the face of the person holding me captive.

"M-Mr. West…" He smiles down at me and kneels opening a bottle of water in front of me. Seeing him do so makes me aware of my dry throat and it's all I can do to keep myself from trying to snatch it from him. He takes a swig from the bottle and sets it on the ground, close to his foot.

"You're definitely something special to my daughter, I'll give you that. It was certainly interesting to see her come to me, begging me to help her find you. And of course, that changed my plans immensely. I have the perfect opportunity to get my daughter back and to get you out of the picture. She'd be so happy and willing to forgive me if I helped her find you."

"Why are you telling me this? Do you think I wouldn't tell her it was you all along?" Shut up, Tori… You're just going to make this worse for yourself..but… Really, how does he expect to get away with this? He just chuckles and picks up the water again. He moves it from side to side and it's hard to stop myself from staring at it. I shake my head and glare at him.

"When I'm through, you won't be telling her anything, trust me." He stands up and tosses the water onto my lap. "You're not the first, but you _will_ be the last…" Before I can say anything, he shuts off the light and walks away. I see a door open and shut and hear the soft scratching of a lock.


	22. Ultimatum

**Look who hit a bit of extra inspiration?! I wanted to try something a little different for this chapter. No crazy long Author's note this time, guys lol Just enjoy this slightly longer than usual chapter! -Mercy Vale**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Ultimatum

(Jade)

It's been almost three days since Tori disappeared and I've gone damn near insane trying to find her. We had to break it to her father what was going on when she still hadn't turned up and he didn't take the news any better than the rest of us did. It took three doctors just to keep him from ripping out his IV's and getting out of the bed, and it wasn't easy to watch… I just couldn't stay after that. I can't look her in the eyes, knowing that she's out there somewhere and he can't do anything to find her. I've been searching almost non-stop, skipping school just to have more time to look for her. School's been the last thing on my mind and I just stopped answering the calls from Helen and Lane. They were practically begging to come back, saying they would help me, but I know it's just a trap to give me detention or suspension for skipping. No, the only person from HA that's been supportive of my search for Tori, is Sikowitz. He promised to vouch for me when we came back, to make sure I didn't get in trouble. It's a nice gesture, but I don't care about going back there.

My dad has been more helpful than I thought he would be. He would call me whenever one of his contacts spots a girl that looks like Tori, but so far, they've all been wrong. I want to be mad, but at least he's trying… I'm not giving up hope. I know she's out there somewhere and I'm not going to find her.

 ***Ring***

I take out my phone and answer it after seeing Rachel's name. She and Mom have been helping too, taking time off of work to put up missing posters and search every inch of the city for her.

"Hey Ma, any news?" I get out of the car and open the back door to let Jack out. I've been keeping him with me, just in case he might be able to track Tori.

"Nothing yet, honey… I'm sorry. Your mom and Mitch just got home, and I finished making more posters so we're going out again soon. We're broadening the search. We're going to the next towns over to put up posters there too and I was calling to ask if you wanted to come. I hate thinking of you out there by yourself."

"I'm fine… I have Jack with me... That's a good idea, but I know she's here, Ma…" I yawn, clipping his leash on and walking with him so he can use the bathroom.

"JJ...You need to get some rest… Why don't you come home and sleep and get a good hot meal? You'll feel better…"

"I told you, I'm fine. I'm not even that tired."

"Bullshit. When's the last time you slept in a bed and not your car? Or ate something that wasn't junk? Come home. You're no good out there like this. Tori wouldn't want you making yourself sick, you know that." She's right… Tori would tear into me if she saw me eating nothing but crap food for 2 days…and it didn't feel right going back to the house without her.

"Alright… I'll come home…" I let Jack do his business before leading him back to the car. "Just give me another hour to drive around and I'll be right there."

"Jade. Get your ass home right now." I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. She's not going to let it go until I do what she says.

"Okay, I'll come home now…"

"Good. I'll have dinner on the table for you when you get here." I put my phone away and let Jack in before getting in too and starting the car.

"Alright, we'll get some food, rest a little bit, and come back out to search for Tori.." He sits on the back seat and I roll the window down for him so he can enjoy the breeze while I drive.

It doesn't take me long to get to the house, even with the few detours I took when I saw someone looking at the missing posters of Tori. No connections, just curious people… I don't know how much more of this I can take… My phone starts ringing, but I know it's Rachel, so I just ignore it as I'm pulling into the driveway. I get out with Jack close by and unlock the door. It's quiet when we walk in, but I can smell food cooking from the kitchen. It smells really good in here… Jack is way ahead of me, going right to the kitchen to get something to eat too. Rachel is standing by the stove, stirring something, and Missy is helping her cook.

"Hey guys…" They both turn around and Rachel rushes me, nearly knocking me over with a hug. I just stand there, waiting for her to let go, but I realize she isn't going to until she gets what she wants. I hug her back and it hits me how much I was the one who needed it most. I tighten my hold and bury my face into her shoulder, breaking down. Had Rachel not been holding me, my legs would have given out on me.

"Shh…. It's going to be okay…" She helps me stay on my feet and rubs my back like she used to when I was a kid. With how focused and determined I've been, looking for Tori these past few days, I still kept a lot of what I was feeling, hidden away. Now, I can't contain it anymore. I let out everything I'd been holding in and just cry while Rachel holds me. "You can't keep going like this, Jade… Let the rest of us handle the search. You need to rest…"

"I just want to find her. I can't give up on her, Momma…" She pulls away and holds my face in her hands, making me look at her.

"It's not giving up. You just need to take care of yourself, so you have the strength to keep looking. Come on..." She pulls me to the table and makes me sit before going over to the stove. Missy comes over and hands me some tissues, which I take and dry my eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Jade… I wish I could help more." She puts more tissues by me and goes to the fridge bringing me a bottle of water. "Here." I take it and drink almost half of it. I've been drinking nothing but coffee for days, only getting water and proper food for Jack, and I hadn't realized how dehydrated I was getting.

"Thank you…" She brings me another water and Rachel set a plate of food in front of me which I pick at. And while I normally love her grilled chicken, I'm just too distracted to eat much of it.

"Jade, you're not leaving this table until you finish your food. Eat." I sigh and start eating when Rachel sits herself across from me, watching. After the first few bites, my appetite comes back, and I quickly finish the whole plateful. Before I have the chance to stand, Rachel takes my plate and comes back with it refilled. "You don't have to finish this one but try and eat a little more." Despite what she said, I finished the second plate of food too. I'd been eating nothing, but granola bars and trail mix this whole time. It felt really good to have real food… I just hope Tori's eating well too…

Thinking about her only starts to upset me again and Rachel helps by leading me to my room and making me sit on the bed while she grabs stuff. I just sit there and stare at my shoes while she moves around the room, opening boxes.

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys so much… I know I should just let the cops look for her, and I know just driving around town isn't really going anywhere, but I can't just sit and do nothing… What kind of girlfriend would that make me, if I didn't try my hardest to find her?" She stops what she's doing and comes over to sit next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"I know you've been working hard to find her, no one can say otherwise, but there's nothing wrong with taking a step back and making sure you've got the strength and energy to keep looking." She pulls me closer and sighs, running a hand through her hair. "When you walked in and I got a good look at you, you looked empty. Still do, but the food helped a lot. The way you looked though, it kept reminding me of when you were a kid, when your father broke your arm and damn near broke everything up here." She taps my forehead and I look at her. "I can't see you like that again, Jade, I can't."

"I know… At least Dad seems to have come around… He's been trying hard to find her too, and I didn't think he'd even agree to help…" Rachel grumbles and rolls her eyes.

"I'm glad you were able to go to him and convince him to help, but I still don't trust that man. I'm sorry, Jade. Not after everything he put you through."

"I know, trust me…"

"Look, I will do everything I can to help you find Tori, even put up with that man if you really think he'll help, but in return, I need you to take care of yourself. No more sleeping in your car, no more eating junk, and no more going hours without letting us know you're alright."

"Okay…" She sighs and hugs me, but this one feels different. It's like she's trying to comfort herself more than just me...

"Good. Now, go take a shower and get some rest." She hands me some fresh clothes, ushers me towards my bathroom and shuts the door. I set everything down and start the water, letting it get hot before getting in.

I'm not in there for long, just enough to wash up and get out. I dry my body and hair before getting into my pajamas and leaving. Jack's laying on my bed, and it looks like he was watching the door and waiting for me. I don't like letting the dogs on my bed, but I just scoot him over and lay down. He's been sleeping in the car with me too and he deserves to be comfortable. Me sleeping is a whole other story though. I'm really trying but I keep instinctively reaching for Tori and it hurts every time I feel an empty space where she'd normally be laying. I just lay there and hold her pillow, trying hard not to start crying again, when I feel a weight on my side. I reach down and feel Jack's head as he rests in on me, trying to move closer.

"Hey mutt…" I start petting him and he moves closer, laying along my side and leaning against me. "It's been tough for you too, I know… I think I'd have gone crazy out there if I hadn't had you with me…" I scratch his ears and he leans into my hand, wanting more. I smile a little bit and keep petting him. Tori really did find a good one… I think of her, laughing and smiling and having so much fun playing with him all the time and I get upset all over again. What am I going to do if we don't find her? I'm lost without her… Waves of panic fill me and start to get out of bed, wanting to go looking for her again, but Jack moves to lay on top of me and I hold onto him, crying uncontrollably into his fur. Once I've gotten it all out of my system, I calm down enough to lay back in the bed, though I don't let go of him. "We're going to find her, Jack. I'm not giving up…" I close my eyes and focus on how warm he is before falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

(Tori)

"You need to eat…" I glance at the woman, Mr. West's girlfriend (wife?), before turning away from her and the plate of food she's holding out to me. She's nicer to me than he is, by far. She's been tending to my hand, changing the bandages and giving me pain meds for it, so I'm guessing she's a doctor, or nurse. As nice as she's been, she's still helping him. I doubt I can trust her. "Please… I scowl and take the sandwich, biting into it before putting it back on the plate.

"There." She sighs and sets the plate on the floor near me. I chew and swallow the bite, wincing from how sweet the filling is. Everything she's brought me to eat or drink always tastes like it has a pound of sugar in it. It keeps leaving me with a headache from how sweet it is...

"You need to eat more, or he'll be upset with you."

"Do you really think I care if he's **upset**? He's keeping me here until I promise to break up with Jade. He wants me to tell her that I never loved her, and she meant nothing to me. I stop, shaking my head and turning back to the wall. "He wants me to break the heart of the woman I love more than anything, so I'm sorry if me not eating or talking to him makes him mad." I lean against the wall and hold my head as the pounding gets worse.

"I'm not going to get mad, Miss Vega. If you don't want to eat, that can be arranged." I look over at the door and see it open, with Mr. Vega standing in the opening. "Caroline, take it away."

"But Richard-"

"Now!" She and I both flinch at his sudden rise in volume and she quickly grabs the plate and hurries out. He walks over to me and pulls out his chair, keeping it just far enough away that I can't do anything. He learned that the first day. I nearly grabbed the keys after knocking him down, but he'd stopped me by stepping on my broken hand. There was nothing else I could do but drop the keys and cry, holding it. He took them back and moved his chair further away.

It was the same thing as always. Demands to leave Jade, to make her believe that our relationship was a lie.. Does he really think I'd be swayed that easily? I'm not leaving her. I know she's out there somewhere, looking for me. He keeps mentioning how she keeps talking to him, thinking he's helping her find me, and he really seems to be getting a kick out of it. Jade is going to kill him when she figures out what's happened… I think he expected me to give in by now, because he's been getting more and more frustrated.

"Don't even waste your breath. I'm not doing it." His face turns red and he crossed his arms.

"You didn't even give me a chance to ask. That's my favorite part." He smirks, but I can tell this is all just getting old to him. It really doesn't take much to anger him now. Hate to say it, but he's definitely where Jade got her temper from.

"Mr. West… It's been days now. Just let me go home…" He comes closer to me and grabs me by the front of my shirt, holding me up.

"You're not going anywhere until you do as I say. You're nothing but an inconvenience and there are ways to deal with inconveniences. You _will_ cooperate, or else." I grab at his hands with my good one to get him to let go and glare at him.

"I won't, so just stop…" He stares at me and I keep his gaze, refusing to look away until he drops me back onto the floor and growls.

"Then I guess you're not going anywhere." He stomps away, kicking the chair out of the way before leaving. Because it's so quiet in the room, it's easy for me to notice that the door wasn't locked. A lot of help that is though... I can't get out if I can't get this damn chain off my ankle… I sit up and brush the dirt off my hands, looking around. He left the light on so I can see in the room better, but there's not much that I can see. I keep an eye on the door and stand up. I can get a good couple of feet before the chain holds me back, a little further if I pull hard. The chain is attached to a thick beam, so there's no way of getting it loose, but maybe I can try something else…

There's a small cupboard to the right, and after stretching over and balancing on one foot, I'm able to pull it open. Unfortunately, there's not much in here, mostly fishing stuff like lure, hooks, and lines. I'm about to shut it when I stop to take out one of the hooks. Maybe I can pick the lock? Jade knows how to do that… I've watched her pick the lock on her car plenty of times when she's left the keys inside. I put it in my pocket, careful not to jab myself, and grab a few more just to be safe. I open the drawer below it and dig around, finding a small pocketknife. I quickly hide that in my pocket and shut the drawer. It's not much, but it's better than nothing… I go back to my corner and take out the hooks, bending them until they're mostly straight. I keep one and hide the rest before trying to open the lock.

Jade definitely made this look a lot easier than it is… I don't know what I'm doing… I sit like this for what feels like hours, making no progress. One of the hooks breaks and I throw it out of frustration, holding my head in my hands. I can't concentrate with this headache… I feel awful. I take a deep breath and reach for another hook. I can't waste any time.

"Who are you?" I whip my head up and see a kid looking at me. Is this Jade's little brother? Can he help me? Probably not…

"My name's Tori…" I look back at the door and see it open, confirming that it wasn't locked.

"Why are you down here? Are you hiding?" How do I answer that? Just because his dad is a literal kidnapper, it doesn't mean I should tell that to a kid.

"I…"

"Jacob! Get away from there!" Mrs. West comes running in and grabs him. "Your father would be furious if he saw you down here! Go to your room, now!" He runs out of the room and she turns back to me. "Don't tell my husband he was in here. Please..." She's scared of him… That's why she's doing everything he tells her. Would he really hurt a little kid? He did hurt Jade, and kidnapped me, so I guess there's really no telling what he'd do.

"I won't…" I look away and rub my arms, pulling my legs up. Mrs. West goes to turn off the light but there's more footsteps.

"He's back…" She comes over to me and grabs me, pulling me up. "Forgive me…" Before I can ask what she's doing, she brings her hand up and starts slapping me over and over again. I try to move my face away, but she keeps bringing me closer. "I told you to knock it off! Don't make me come back down here again!" She pulled off of me and Mr. West shoves me to the floor.

"What happened?"

"She was making noise. I told her to stop and she wouldn't listen." She huffs and brushes herself off. Mr. West just laughs and turns to his wife.

"And here I thought you were a quiet little mouse. Good job. I'll take it from here. Go make my drink." He goes to grab the chair and she looks at me, mouthing sorry before leaving. I can't blame her… She didn't want him angry with her… Mr. West sits the chair down in its usual spot and I lean back, rubbing my face to get rid of the stings. "You know, I've come to realize that I can't break you like I've broken the others. You're stubborn, just like my daughter."

"You're just now realizing that?" I snort and rest my hand in my lap. He lights a cigar and just watches me.

"I'll give you one more chance to change your mind about my little proposal."

"You already know my answer."

"Ahh ahh. I wouldn't choose just yet. Think it over for a bit, because you might not like the consequences this time."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" I roll my eyes and brush my hand down my leg, pretending to brush off dust, but actually feeling for the pocketknife, making sure it's still there. Mr. West doesn't say anything, and I start to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You're not seriously considering-"

"Like I told you before, Miss Vega, you're not the first." Is he talking about the other girls Jade's dated? She told me her father hired them to twist her heart. She never mentioned any of them dying… "I'd really rather not get my hands dirty this time, however." He's really serious… He'd really kill me if I didn't turn my back on Jade? He gets up and turns off the light. "I expect an answer soon." He starts to leave, but he stops, looking over his shoulder at me. I feel my good hand starting to reach out to him.

"W-" I stop myself, shaking my head. Am I really willing to throw away everything, just to save myself? I could never do that to her, not after everything we've been through together… I can't. He shuts the door and I hear it lock, his footsteps fading away.

I run my hand through my hair to get it out of my face and squint in the dark, but all I can see is the chair. If I can't get out of here, he's going to kill me. There's no way for this to end good for Jade… Either I destroy what we had, or I die, and her father uses me to get closer to her, only to hurt her again. The only way to fix this is to get out, but how? Come on, Vega, think… I could try the hooks again, but it's dark now. That's only going to make it harder… I feel around for the chain. It's kind of thick, but it's more like the kind that I used to use on my old bike. There's no way to get the shackle off without unlocking it and the other end of the chain is attached to the beam, hooked to a metal mount.

I stare at the chain and an idea comes to mind. When I was a kid, I used to have this really cool building set that my dad got me. I was trying to make a rocket and had to twist little pipes using a stick. I wasn't paying attention and twisted it for too long, the resulting pressure snapping the metal. My dad explained that it was called fatigue. Just like what happens to people when they're worked too hard, metal can also be worked too hard and weaken. It could be possible to do the same to the chains, but I'd need a pretty big stick… My head snaps to the chair. That's it… I crawl along the floor, towards the chair, and stretch my arm out. It's _just_ out of reach… I just need another inch or so and I can grab it… I dig through my pocket and pull out the pocketknife, opening it. I'm able to get it wedged on the back of one of the front legs and I slowly pull it close enough to grab with my hand. Got it… I bring it close and inspect it. If I can get one of the legs off, I can use that. I lay the chair down and try to break the leg by pushing down, but I need more force. I place one of my knees on it, take a deep breath, and drop hard on it.

 ***Crack***

I wince and rub my leg furiously. Damn it….. That really hurt, but at least it came loose… I pry the chair leg off the rest of the way off and kneel close to the chain base. I have no idea if this is even going to work, but if I have any chance of getting out of here, I have to try.

* * *

(Jade)

I sit up and rub my eyes, looking over at the clock. I only slept for a few hours, but I feel so much better… I stretch and get up, patting Jack's side when he gets up too.

"Alright mutt, we've rested up long enough. Let's get back out there... "It's nearly 9 pm, so Rachel has to already be in bed, which means she won't see me leave. Good. She might make me sleep more… I open up the boxes of clothes and grab jeans and a t-shirt, changing out of the pajamas. I grab my keys and phone and head upstairs with Jack following me. I sneak into the kitchen and spot a bag on the table with a note next to it.

 _Jade, I know you're going to leave while we're sleeping so I'm not going to stop you. Just make sure to eat and come home when you're tired. Stay safe. - Rachel_

I can't help but smile as I open the bag and see that she packed me two sandwiches and some fruit. She's awesome. I take the bag and grab some water from the fridge before leaving with Jack. We get settled in my car and I set out for the night. I've made it a habit of going to all of Tori's favorite spots, just in case she turns up there. Nothing, just the same as it's been the past few days, but it doesn't hurt to keep checking. Maybe I should stop by my dad's house. I haven't heard from him all day. I drive, eating one of the sandwiches, and share it with Jack while he sits in the passenger seat. We get to my dad's house and I make sure Jack's got his leash on before we head to the door. My dad hates dogs and Jack doesn't seem to like him either, but I can't just leave him in the car by himself. I knock on the door and after a few minutes, my dad answers, holding his usual glass of scotch.

"Jadelyn, what are you doing here? It's late." He turns his gaze to Jack and starts glaring. "Why is _it_ here?"

"Sorry, I didn't want to just leave him in the car by himself. I was hoping you'd have some news on the search for Tori." He sighs and shakes his head, backing up when Jack gets close to him to sniff his legs..

"No, I've heard nothing all day." He takes a drink and looks back at me. "Are you sure she didn't just run away? Maybe she doesn't want to be found."

"I know her, Dad. She wouldn't just run off like this." Then again, she was upset about something before she vanished. Could she have… No, her phone was damaged, and the cops found unknown fingerprints on them. There was definitely some kind of struggle. "I trust her." He just shrugs.

"I'm just saying. It's pretty strange that she hasn't turned up yet."

"I know, believe me, I know…"

"Jadey!" Jake runs up to me and ducks past Dad to hug me. "I missed you!" I hug him back and nudge him back inside since he has nothing on his feet.

"I missed you too, kiddo. Stay in there, It's cold tonight. Did you do your homework?" He nods and Dad puts a hand on his head.

"It's time for bed, Jacob. Your mother will be up in a few moments. Say goodnight to your sister."

"Night night, Jadey!"

"Night, punk." I smile, waving as he leaves, and watch him head up the steps.

"You should head home. It's getting late." I sigh. He's right. I haven't been out for long, but there's really not much to do if there's nobody out to ask about Tori. I can't keep driving in circles, waiting for something to happen. Jack keeps pulling at the leash and I have to keep pulling him back to make him sit next to me.

"Come on, Jack… Stop." I shake my head when I sit him down again. "I'll just take the dog home and get some more sle-" I stop when there's a loud bang from inside the house. "What was that?" I look at my dad and he seem tense, looking to the side.

"Don't worry about that. I've just been having trouble with some raccoons sneaking in. Wait here." Before I can say anything else, he shuts the door. I kneel down and pet Jack while I wait for him to return. About 10 minutes go by and I'm texting Beck when there's more banging and yelling. Jesus Christ… How crazy is that Raccoon? I tie Jack's leash to the railing leading up to the house and go up to the door, opening it. I drop my keys and feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest. It can't be...

Standing 5 feet in front of me, holding a bloody knife in one hand and a mass of bandages on the other, is Tori…

"Tori…" She turns around and looks at me with wide eyes and I start to reach for her, but the knife is knocked from her hand and she's pulled away from me.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?!" My dad holds her and backs away as blood drips down his arm. "You just had to ruin everything!"

"Dad, what the hell is going on?! What is she doing here?! I thought-"

"You thought wrong, that's what you thought. You really believed I was helping you out of the kindness of my heart?" Jack starts barking and growling behind me, but I ignore him and take a step towards them.

"I trusted you! I came to you and begged for your help because I thought you might be my one good chance of finding her!" He had her this whole time… He was lying to me… Rachel was right… She was right… "Let her go!"

"Back up, Jade or I swear to god I'll-" There's a snap and like a flash, Jack is in the house and on top of my dad, biting onto his arm. He yells and struggles to get him off and I take the chance to grab Tori and pull her away.

"Are you okay?!" She's unsteady as she grabs my arm and I start to look her over but stop when my dad grabs my leg.

"Get back here!" Jack is still trying to pull him back, but my dad is a lot stronger and kicks him to get him off. He pulls himself to his feet and wraps his hands around my neck, squeezing. "I did this for you! I just wanted you to see how disgusting and untrustworthy girls like her are, but you just wouldn't listen! Looks where it's gotten you!" I grab at his hands and gasp for air as he tightens his grip. "We could have been happy! If you had just been normal, we could have been a perfect family! But you turned out just. like. your. mother." There's another hand that comes up and I watch helplessly as Tori tries to pull him off me.

"Stop! You're going to kill her! Let go!" My vision starts getting spotty and my hands slide from his as I start getting weak.

"This is what she deserves…" Just before everything goes black, there's a crashing sound and I fall to the floor. I clutch at my throat and cough, taking deep, gasping breaths of air as everything fades back in. My dad lays on the floor and his fiancé, Caroline, kneels beside him, crying and holding what remains of a lamp.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to do any of this… Please forgive me…" I crawl over to my dad and grab the front of his shirt. I start punching him, over and over and over again until someone pulls me off.

"I hate you! I hate you!" I struggle against the arms that are holding me and try to get loose. "You're dead to me! You hear!? Dead! If you ever come near me or my family again, I'll kill you!"

"Miss West. Calm down. We'll take it from here…" I look up and see that a cop is the one holding me. I pull away and stand there, still breathing hard and pure rage and adrenaline coursing through me.

"How did you even know to come here?!" I demand, marching closer and wanting another chance to kick my father's ass, unconscious or not.

"I called them…" Caroline stands up and lets the officer put handcuffs on her while another comes in and puts cuffs on my father. "I'm sorry, Jade… I never wanted any of this…" I watch as my father is dragged out, feeling nothing but hatred for that man.

"Jade… Help me..." I turn to Tori and see her stumbling towards me, holding one of her hands out. She tilts forwards and I'm not fast enough to catch her as she collapses to the floor.

* * *

(Tori)

 _Earlier_

This is a lot harder than I expected and it took longer than I thought, but It seems to be working… I'm using the chair leg and twisting the chain over and over. I just need a little more and…

 ***Crack***

There! The mount rips partially out of the wall and comes loose enough for me to pull it loose. I drop the chair leg and stand up, flexing my sore hand. One problem down, one more to go. I can move freely now, but I can't go anywhere until I figure out how to get through that locked door… I turn on the light and look around the room, moving everything I can to find something to open the door, but there's nothing. It has a keyhole on this side and there's no way I'm breaking through this door. The noise would just bring him back down here. Unless… I go back over to where I was kept and grab the chair leg. If I make enough noise, he'll have to come down, and I can take him down with this and get away…

I start grabbing things off of shelves and throwing them around, using the piece of wood to bang on the door and walls. It doesn't take long to hear heavy footsteps running down the stairs. I turn off the light and hide behind the door. It flies open and Mr. West steps in, not noticing me. I step behind him and swing, hitting him across the back on his head. He drops like a sack of potatoes and I snatch the keys from the floor, fumbling with them until I find one that gets the chair and shackle off of me. I drop them on the floor and scramble up the stairs, getting to the top quickly. Right when I turn to look for the door, arms wrap around me and a hand goes over my mouth.

"I've had quite enough of you…" I feel a sharp jab in my leg and look down, seeing him holding some kind of blue pen against my leg. He pushes down a button on the tip and it clicks over and over again while I get a cold feeling spreading throughout my leg. I struggle to get out of his hold and remember the knife in my pocket. I shove my hand into my pocket, pull out the knife, press the button to open it, and without hesitation, I sink it deep into his arm. He immediately lets go of me and I land on my feet, albeit a little shakily. I stumble back, away from him and hold the knife defensively as I watch him.

"You're not going to get away with this…" He lets go of his arm and starts to come towards me but stops suddenly.

"Tori…" I freeze and turn around, locking eyes with Jade. She's here… She reaches out to me, but my hand is hit, and I drop the knife, getting pulled away from her. Mr. West's grip is tighter than it was before, and without the knife, I can't get away. He pulls me back and growls.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?! You just had to ruin everything!" Jade doesn't even look angry, it's more like she's too shocked to show any other emotion.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?! What is she doing here?! I thought-"

"You thought wrong, that's what you thought. You really believed I was helping you out of the kindness of my heart?" There's barking. Jack? He's growling, worse than I've ever heard him growl before. I try to wriggle free, but I just can't get my body to stop trembling… What did he give me…?

"I trusted you! I came to you and begged for your help because I thought you might be my one good chance of finding her! Let her go!"

"Back up, Jade, or I swear to god I'll-" I heard something snap and I feel myself falling back before my hand is pulled and I'm leaning against someone.

"Aarree yyoouu ookkaayy?" I look up at Jade and try to concentrate on what she's saying, but it's hard to make out. Something's wrong with me... I shake my head to clear it and hear a yelp. Mr. West kicked Jack and grabbed Jade.

"Get back here!" I'm leaning against a wall and look up to see Mr. West with his hands around Jade's throat. "I did this for you! I just wanted you to see how disgusting and untrustworthy girls like her are, but you just wouldn't listen! Look where it's gotten you." Jade starts gasping and I watch her face slowly turn purple as I struggle to get my legs to move. Stop...please… I bring my hand up and bang it on the wall to get myself out of the haze. "We could have been happy! If you had been normal, we could have been a perfect family! But you turned out just. like. your. Mother." I throw myself at them and try my best to pull his hands off, but I don't have the strength.

"Stop! You're going to kill her! Let go!" I grasp at his hands, but he just pushes me out of the way with his shoulder. I fall backwards as my legs give out and watch, horrified as he strangles Jade.

"This is what she deserves…" I pull myself back to my feet in time to see Caroline coming up behind him. She makes eye contact with me and makes a shushing motion. I nod and she lifts her arms up, holding a thick heavy lamp, and brings it down on his head. He drops Jade and she starts coughing and breathing. Jack sniffs her over and licks her face before coming over to me. Caroline is on the floor beside him, covering her face and sobbing.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to do any of this… Please forgive me…" I keep my hand on the wall to keep myself on my feet and watch as Jade drags herself over to her father. I watch in shock as she starts hitting him repeatedly. He's out cold already and she doesn't even care… people start rushing, cops, and one of them pulls Jade off of him, dragging her back as she tries to pull away.

"I hate you! I hate you! You're dead to me! You hear!? Dead! If you come near me or my family again, I'll kill you!"

"Miss West calm down. We'll take it from here." Jade gets him to let go and I move away from the wall. Jade… I put my hand on Jack's head and use him to keep myself steady as I try to walk over to her. My eyes are all messed up… everything's going fuzzy and it feels like my heart's won't stop beating so fast.

"How did you even know to come here?!" She moves further away, going back to her father. Jade...come back…

"I called them…" Caroline? I hear the sound of metal clinking.. "I'm sorry, Jade… I never wanted any of this…" Jade.. I need Jade... I open my mouth, but it feels impossible to form words. I swallow hard and take a deep breath, gaining a moment of clarity.

"Jade…" I let go of Jack and stretch my hand out towards her. "Help me…" I feel myself leaning forward and see Jade's hands fly out before I hit the floor.

* * *

(Jade)

I drop when Tori falls into the floor and I grab her hand and shake her, freaking out.

"Tori! What's wrong?!" Her hand starts squeezing mine and it gives me hope that she's waking up, but that all falls apart when she starts convulsing. I try to hold her still and talk to her, not sure what to do to help her.

"Dispatch, missing person has been located but we have a 10-53. Requesting an urgent bus to our location." The cop escorting Carol, rushes over to us, pulling me off of her. "She's having a seizure. Don't restrain her or she can hurt herself…" He moves her onto her side and looks at his watch while I just stand there, lost. What is going on? … I turn to Carol and push her back against a wall.

"What did you guys do to her!?" She just weeps and tries to cover her face.

"I didn't want to…"

"Tell me!" She looks at Tori as she continues to convulse, and she starts crying again.

"He gave her a high dose of insulin… Her body can't handle it… It's Insulin Shock… You have to get her to a hospital or she's..." She doesn't finish talking and I don't wait for more. I kneel by Tori and hold her hand. There's nothing I can do. I don't want to cause her to hurt herself and I don't want to make anything worse…

"You're going to be okay, Tori… We'll get you to a hospital and get you all fixed up; I swear it…" I stay with her like this until the ambulance shows up. Once they hear what's wrong with her, they get her hooked up to an IV and start giving her some sort of sugar solution while they get her on the stretcher. I stay by her side and start to get in the ambulance with them, but they stop me, saying that dogs aren't allowed on. I look down at Jack and struggle internally. She wouldn't want me to just leave him here… I squeeze her hand and kiss her forehead. "I'll see you soon. Hang in there, Tori…" I back up and they speed off, rushing her to the hospital. Dad and Caroline are taken away and a few cops stay behind to ask me questions, but I push past them, ducking behind a bush and throwing up. I still can't fully wrap my head around everything that just happened...

"You okay, kid?" There's a hand on my shoulder and I nod, still bent over.

"Hey, Smith! We found a kid inside!" I stand up and turn to see a cop carrying my brother out of his house.

"Jake!" I run over and take him from her, holding him close to me. "Are you alright?! Did Dad do anything to you?!" He's shaking, but seems fine, just upset.

"Mommy and Daddy are gone… Why did they do bad things to that lady?..."

"Dad was the bad one… He… He made your mom do bad things because she was scared of him…" He holds onto me, even when the officer tries to pull him away. I back up and keep my arms around him, giving her a death glare. "No! You're not taking him! I'm his sister, he's coming with me!"

"We just want to make sure he's okay…" The officer holds her hands up and motions to the second ambulance. She offers to take him, but I refuse and carry him over myself, keeping him in my lap while he's examined. They find some evidence that he may have been hit and I feel my anger building up again, but I keep myself calm so I don't upset him. I answer whatever questions they ask me while they check him and when they're done, I bring him back inside the house and find a bag and a suitcase. Packing his clothes into the suitcase and letting him fill the backpack with everything he wants to bring for now while I pack all the important stuff. I get Jake out of his pajamas and into regular clothes before leading him to my car. with all of his stuff. We put the bags in the trunk, and I open the back door for him, getting him buckled up with Jack sitting next to him. Before I shut the door, I lean in and give him one more hug, squeezing tight.

"You're going to stay with me, okay? … I'll make sure Dad never does anything bad to us ever again…"


End file.
